Traffic engineering staff told the Oxnard City Public Works and Transportation Committee that the city's Safe Routes to School (SRTS) report took four years to complete and covers 51 schools across the city.

Jose Rivera, the traffic engineering division project manager, said Phase 1 of the effort was covered by a grant and Phase 2 was funded with ARPA money. The report documents walking audits, pickup/drop-off corridor assessments, recommended engineering fixes, operational measures and education programs. Rivera said the document will help the city pursue targeted grants and guide engineering work and enforcement priorities.

City Engineer Morgan Kessler said each school received a walking audit and that the report is a tool for police enforcement, educational outreach and grant applications. He noted the report's practical uses for schools and staff and described the SRTS document as a useful product that can support construction projects and grant funding.

During public comment a resident described persistent safety problems at a particular school during pick-up and drop-off: double parking, drivers blocking crosswalks and limited enforcement that, in the resident's view, left crossing guards and students at risk. The resident urged more consistent code enforcement and police presence and said simple operational measures (cones) had worked at one school but not uniformly.

Staff acknowledged enforcement is an interagency challenge involving the police department, schools and code enforcement, and said the report can be used to inform those operational conversations. The committee agreed the report merited consideration by the full City Council and voted 2-0 to forward it.

Next steps: staff said they would provide the report to the City Council for review and indicated the report could be used to pursue grants and to coordinate enforcement and education efforts with school districts and the police department.