The Pacific Palisades Community Council’s Marquez Transportation committee has contacted Marquez Charter Elementary Principal Phillip Hollis and asked to attend the next governing board meeting in September to discuss school-related traffic and parking issues. At its August 9 meeting, the Community Council voted unanimously to send a letter to L.A. School Board member Marlene Canter, arguing that ‘more than 500 cars stop at Marquez Elementary every school day. The school population has gone from roughly 500 to close to 800. The school has only 25 on-site parking spaces. This is unsatisfactory, as the staff is closer to 100.’ The council approved sending the letter, which suggested four solutions (including a recommendation that one-third of the Marquez playground be turned into a parking lot) after they were assured that the principal and the school had approved it, which was not the case. This week, the Palisadian-Post checked the numbers cited in the letter. In the faculty parking lot there are 30 numbered spaces, an additional curbside spot and a handicapped spot, bringing the total to 32 spaces. This year’s faculty number is 32, plus 25 aides and five office personnel. According to Principal Phillip Hollis, the number of projected students for this school year is 598, not ‘close to 800.’ And the 500 cars arriving at the school every day? Maybe not in the morning or in the afternoon. This spring, an official of the L.A. Department of Transportation Crossing Guard Section counted cars and children at the intersection of Marquez Avenue and Edgar Street, but found the numbers too low to warrant a crossing guard. In order to qualify, a minimum of 300 cars and 20 walking children must go through the intersection in one hour, according to Sergeant Juanita Wildy. Hollis, who has been seeking a crossing guard, has asked for a recount. John Grosse, a member of the council’s Marquez committee, has suggested that additional faculty parking could be built on the playground next to the dismissal gate and near the kindergarten bungalows. This would mean relocating the kindergarten/first-grade play structure, as well as moving two basketball courts and a handball court. If cars were routed to the far end of the playground, trees and part of the grass yard would have to be removed. This week, Hollis suggested that an ideal place for additional parking would be at the intersection of Ida Street and Marquez Avenue, but the school does not have the funds for such construction. Hollis is also concerned that there are no sidewalks for children to walk safely to school on adjoining streets, which could help alleviate some vehicle traffic.
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