TMP-Fall 2014 10-01-14
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page i
Traffic Management Plan for
Universal Academy‐ Coppell
< DeShazo Project No. 14090 >
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN .............................................................................. 2
School Operational Characteristics ................................................................................. 2
Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 4
General ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Site Circulation Plan .................................................................................................................... 5
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 5
EXHIBIT 1 – SITE PLAN
EXHIBITS 2A THROUGH 2D – EXISTING AND PROEJCTED PEAK VEHICLE QUEUES
EXHIBIT 3 – ACCESS AND CIRCULATION PLAN
EXHIBIT 4 – RECOMMENDED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN
EXHIBIT 5 – ALTERNATE FUTURE SITE CIRCULATION PLAN (CONCEPTUAL)
Traffic. Transportation Planning. Parking. Design.
400 S. Houston Street, Suite 330
Dallas, TX 75202
ph. 214.748.6740
deshazogroup.com
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page 1
Technical Memorandum
To: Mr. Gary Hasty Karrington & Company
CC: Ms. Janice Blackmon Universal Academy‐Coppell
From: DeShazo Group, Inc.
Date: October 1, 2014
Re: Traffic Management Plan for the Universal Academy‐ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
DeShazo Project No. 14090
INTRODUCTION
The services of DeShazo Group, Inc. (DeShazo) were retained by Karrington & Company on behalf
of Universal Academy‐Coppell (“the school”) to provide a requisite traffic management plan (TMP)
for a proposed expansion of the school campus located at 1001 E. Sandy Lake Road. in Coppell,
Texas. DeShazo is an engineering consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas providing licensed engineers
skilled in the field of traffic/transportation engineering.
Universal Academy‐Coppell currently operates at the subject site with an existing enrollment of
approximately 1.036 students in Grades K‐9th. The school is proposing to increase the maximum
enrollment of the school to 1,500 students in Grades K‐12th no sooner than 2016. A preliminary site
plan, prepared by Pacheco Koch Engineers, showing the future site conditions is provided in Exhibit
1.
As part of the approval process, submittal of a TMP has been requested by the City of Coppell to
provide a record of the recommended strategies to be used by the school to ensure overall traffic
safety and efficiency. A TMP is intended to assess the anticipated traffic conditions at the school
during the morning drop‐off and afternoon pick‐up peak periods on the basis of satisfying these
objectives. By consent of the TMP submittal, the school is agreeing to the strategies presented
herein for which the school will be held self‐accountable until and unless the City of Coppell deems
further measures are appropriate.
NOTE: An original TMP and Traffic Impact Analysis were prepared by DeShazo Group for the school
in July 2014. During the approval process, the City required that updated studies be completed prior
to October 1 using data and observations conducted during the Fall 2014 school semester and then
DeShazo Group, Inc.
October 1, 2014
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page 2
annually thereafter until one year after the school reaches the anticipated maximum enrollment of
1,500.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN
A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) is important to safely achieve an optimum level of traffic flow and
circulation during peak traffic periods associated with student drop‐off and pick‐up. By properly
managing the vehicular traffic generated during the critical periods, the safety and efficiency of
other modes of travel will also inherently improve, and the operational impact on the public street
system should also be minimized. The TMP should not be considered a comprehensive set of
instructions to ensure adequate safety; however, it should be used as a tool to facilitate a safer and
more efficient environment.
The analysis summarized below is based upon DeShazo’s research of the school’s existing conditions
via phone interview with school representatives. The recommended management strategies utilize
the proposed school site plan to evaluate aspects such as passenger loading/unloading and vehicle
queuing (i.e., stacking) that occur at the school in order to accommodate the projected peak
demands within the site at full occupancy. A concerted effort and full participation by the school
administration, staff, students, and parents are encouraged to provide and maintain safe and
efficient traffic operations. [NOTE: In this report the term “parent” refers to any parent, family
member, legal guardian, or other individual who is involved in the pick‐up or drop‐off of one or
more students at the school.]
School Operational Characteristics
Table 1 summarizes the known operational characteristics for Universal Academy‐ Coppell assumed
in this analysis:
Table 1. School Operational Characteristics
Existing Conditions Proposed Conditions
Enrollment (by grade): K‐9th Grade –1,036 students
Number of Buses: 14
K ‐12th Grade – 1,500 students
(maximum)
Number of Buses: 20
Daily Start/End Schedule Entire School:
>Start: 8:00 AM
>End: 3:30 PM
Grades K‐12th:
>Start: (no change)
>End: (no change)
Approximate Number of Students
Travelling by Mode:
By School Bus: 65‐70%
By Walking: <1%
By Self‐Driving: 0%*
By Parent Drop‐Off/Pick‐Up: 30‐
35%
By School Bus: 65‐70%
By Walking: <1%
By Self‐Driving: 0%*
By Parent Drop‐Off/Pick‐Up: 30‐
35%
NOTE: Occasional functions or other events may be held at the school, which generate traffic outside of the traditional
peak drop‐off and pick‐up periods. While some of the measures presented in this report may be applicable in such cases,
traffic characteristics other than those directly associated with the primary drop‐off and pick‐up periods are not the
subject of this analysis.
* The School does not permit student drivers.
DeShazo Group, Inc.
October 1, 2014
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page 3
Existing Traffic Conditions
Site Access and Circulation
The subject site currently has five driveways, two on S. MacArthur Boulevard and three on E Sandy
Lake Road, serving a staff parking lot and additional general parking lot. There are three separate
student unloading/loading areas in the front of the school for parents. A separate bus loading area is
located at the back of the property. The school currently provides off‐duty police officers during the
peak periods of school traffic at the primary inbound northern driveways on S. MacArthur Boulevard
(Driveway 1) and the primary outbound driveway (Driveway 3) on Sandy Lake Road.
Based on traffic counts (camera), field observations and existing operation information from the
school, on site vehicle queuing and traffic congestion is appreciably less pronounced during the
afternoon pick‐up than during the morning drop‐off period. Hence, the recommendations
developed for this study are primarily designed for the both morning drop‐off and afternoon pick‐
up. During the peak drop‐off/pick‐up periods, existing conditions are described as follows:
Almost 65 percent of the students are bused to the Universal Academy‐Coppell.
Parking is allowed in the main, central parking lot but not in front of school buildings.
(School staff park in designated parking areas on the north end of the campus.)
In accordance with previous DeShazo recommendations, Site Driveway 1 and Site Driveway
2 operate as inbound only and Site Driveway 3 operates as outbound only. School buses
enter via Site Driveway 4 and exit via Site Driveway 5. Off‐duty traffic officers commissioned
by the school control traffic on the public street at Site Driveway 3 and, as needed, at Site
Driveway 1.
Passenger Unloading/Loading and Vehicle Queuing/Parking
Universal Academy‐Coppell School employs a semi‐managed protocol during the drop‐off/pick‐up
period whereby parents follow a generally established traffic pattern through the site and may
queue in front of the school building. School buses load in designated loading areas behind the
building, and parent drop‐off/pick‐up occurs in designated areas in front of the building. Parents
may opt to park in the central parking lot and walk to/from the building in lieu of enter the vehicle
queue.
Approximately twenty school staff members are assigned to assist with the loading and unloading of
students. Other school personnel and staff provide on‐site traffic control at major intersections or
pedestrian crossings.
DeShazo also observed the vehicles in queue for student loading/unloading as well as the number of
vehicles parked. DeShazo identified the approximate peak queue and peak parking demand during
the morning and afternoon periods, which generally occurred immediately before school started in
the morning and immediately after school dismissed in the afternoon. Exhibits 2A and 2B
graphically depict the approximate existing peak vehicle queues – morning and afternoon,
respectively. Exhibits 2C and 2D graphically depict the projected queues at maximum enrollment
assuming similar level of student busing. DeShazo’s observation was that during the morning, at the
peak time approximately 35 percent of vehicles opt to park and walk students into the building
rather than enter the queue, and in the afternoon approximately 45 percent of parents preferred to
DeShazo Group, Inc.
October 1, 2014
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page 4
park rather than enter the queue. A summary of the peak number of vehicles parked and in queue
at existing conditions and at full‐occupancy conditions is provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Approximate Peak Vehicles On-Site
Condition
Observed Existing
Peak Conditions
(1,036 Enrolled
Students)
Projected Future
Peak Conditions
(1,500 Enrolled
Students)*
Peak Number of
Vehicles in Drop‐
Off/Pick‐Up Queue
AM – 55
PM – 66
AM – 79
PM – 95
Peak Number of
Vehicles Parking In
Lot
AM – 30
PM – 54
AM – 43
PM – 78
* Data are based upon observations conducted by DeShazo. Peak vehicles are a function of the amount of students
travelling by bus and are subject to change in accordance with changes to the mode split.
NOTE: While it is desirable to contain all parked and queued school‐related vehicles within the site
at all times and the school should strive for this goal, it should be noted that it is not uncommon for
traffic during the first one‐to‐two weeks of each new school year to be somewhat irregular. If major
irregularities persist beyond this period, then active measures (from the preceding list) should be
pursued immediately to correct this condition.
Recommendations
General
To maximize personal safety, all passenger loading and unloading should occur on site at all times –
no passenger loading/unloading should occur within the public right‐of‐way.
No persons other than deputized officers of the law should engage or attempt to influence traffic
operations in public right‐of‐way. Universal Academy‐Coppell plans to retain off‐duty police officers
during the peak periods of the school in the morning and afternoon.
To the extent possible, all queuing and parking of parent‐vehicles should also be accommodated
within the school site boundaries. The school should implement and adhere to the Traffic
Management Plan strategies contained herein ‐‐ and subsequent updates ‐‐ in order to provide
sufficient safety, to facilitate internal traffic circulation, and to minimize impact to the public street
system. The school should disseminate instructional material to parents at the beginning of each
school term and otherwise as needed, which clearly explains the intended procedures. The school
should also actively encourage parents to abide by the Plan.
The full cooperation of all school staff members, students, and parents is crucial for the success of a
Traffic Management Plan. Proper training of school staff on the duties and expectations pertaining
to the Plan is recommended.
DeShazo Group, Inc.
October 1, 2014
Universal Academy‐Coppell
Traffic Management Plan
Page 5
Site Circulation Plan
Based upon DeShazo’s review of the existing site conditions and traffic characteristics during peak
conditions, the current site traffic circulation plan ‐‐ depicted in Exhibits 3 and 4 ‐‐ is considered
sufficient to accommodate current traffic demands and is therefore recommended for the current
school year. This plan was designed with the intent of optimizing the on‐site vehicular circulation
and retention of vehicle queuing in a manner that promotes safety and operational efficiency.
A fundamental part of the plan involves general site access from the public street system and traffic
circulation within the site. The plan is intended to be intuitive and reasonable; however,
consistency and compliance from all motorists is highly desirable. Exhibit 3 provides a basic site
access and circulation plan that may be used by the school for wide distribution and communication
with parents and other members of the public, as needed.
Exhibit 4 depicts recommended configuration of temporary traffic control devices (such as traffic
cones, barriers, etc.) and the general positioning of on‐site traffic personnel that shall be installed by
the school and remain in place during peak traffic periods. An appropriate number of school staff
shall be assigned for student supervision and to provide appropriate aid in loading and unloading
individual students from private vehicles and school buses. Other related duties may also be
required to optimize safety and to accomplish strategies depicted on the plan.
The existing school operate with dual‐lane near drop‐off and pick‐up locations. Since vehicle
queuing area is limited, an extended “double” queue lane (i.e., two, side‐by‐side rows of vehicles) is
required. Loading from both lanes simultaneously requires diligence, so a disciplined procedure is
required to be established and administered by school staff in order to ensure adequate safety. It is
recommended that a “carpool policy manual” be prepared and distributed to all parents at the
beginning of each school term.
Staff directing traffic at key, internal roadway intersections and crosswalks (and other areas, where
appropriate) should, in lieu of simple hand gestures, procure and use reversible hand‐paddle signs
with the messages (and symbols) for STOP and for SLOW (i.e., proceed slowly). Optional additional
equipment used by staff may include whistles (for audible warnings) and flashlights (for visual
warnings) in order to better‐gain the attention of parents/motorists.
While the current circulation plan is anticipated to sufficiently accommodate future enrollment
growth, DeShazo has also developed an alternate concept that may be implemented to increase the
amount of on‐site queue area. This concept, presented in Exhibit 5, is provided for future reference
and consideration in subsequent TMP updates.
SUMMARY
This TMP is to be used by Universal Academy‐ Coppell to provide safe and efficient transportation of
students, staff, and faculty to and from the site. The Plan was developed with the intent of
optimizing safety and efficiency and the goal of accommodating vehicular traffic generated by the
school at peak traffic periods within the site. The details of the TMP shall be reviewed by the school
on a regular basis to confirm its effectiveness.
END OF MEMO