To: PUBLIC WORKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
From: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE
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DISCUSSION OF DIAMOND STREET RESTRIPING BETWEEN PCH AND PROSPECT AND RUHS ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the City’s FY2024-2025 budget, the City Council directed staff to study safety and circulation improvements along Diamond Street between PCH and Prospect Avenue to improve traffic operations on City streets around the RUHS area during school peak periods, and possible changes to curbspace on City streets along RUHS’ frontages. The City hired a consultant with substantial experience performing school area traffic/safety studies around the region and country. Existing conditions data were collected, a stakeholder focus group was conducted, an online community meeting was held, and potential improvements were analyzed in cooperation with RBUSD. At this time, the City is proposing minor enhancements to on-street school loading zones on both north and south sides of RUHS, and narrowing existing lanes on Diamond to provide improved bicycle lanes and a dedicated bicycle turning lane into RUHS at Sea Hawk Way. These improvements were also presented at a District 2 community meeting on 10/22/2025. If these improvements are recommended by the Public Works & Sustainability Commission (PWSC) and approved by the City Council, staff will proceed with final design for construction as part of a future slurry seal project on Diamond Street. Noticing of this agenda item was provided to the residents living closest to RUHS entrances along Diamond Street and Vincent Street (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
The City Council directed staff as part of its FY2024-2025 budget motion to investigate potential solutions to RUHS-related traffic concerns along Diamond Street between PCH and Prospect, and potential curbspace use modifications along Diamond Street and City streets along RUHS’ south side frontage near Vincent Street. City staff selected a transportation engineering consultant with national expertise, including experience with school-area projects, to perform the study, community engagement, and design. The process began in Summer 2024 after budget adoption, followed by data collection and community engagement in Fall/Winter 2024. Community engagement consisted of two parts. The first part were focused stakeholder sessions that included City staff, RBUSD staff, community groups, and two selected RUHS students from the Youth Commission. The second part was an online District 2 community meeting that was noticed to the public per Attachment 1. Twenty attendees joined the meeting and participated in an interactive survey. After community input was gathered, the project team proceeded with analyzing solutions. City staff met further with RBUSD staff to determine mutually beneficial changes to improve traffic operations and safety. At this time, City staff is presenting proposed solutions to the PWSC and the public seeking input. Eventually the City Council will need to determine if further design efforts should proceed.
The project consultant prepared the Redondo Union High Access Study and Design Evaluation Report, which is shown as Attachment 2. The prior draft report was reviewed by City staff and RBUSD staff, and circulated with the District 2 councilmember. The report has been available for public viewing since October 16, 2025 on the City’s website and was included as a QR code in the noticing for this agenda item. The link is also available below:
<https://www.redondo.org/departments/public_works/engineering_services/traffic_engineering/traffic_projects.php>
The report contains all data collection (parking, traffic counts, speeds, crashes), community engagement summaries, and recommendations. Copies of the report were also available at the recent District 2 community meeting.
Residents at the 10/22/2025 District 2 community meeting expressed general concerns about RUHS’ size, generated traffic, entrance locations, and on-site traffic procedures. Although it could not be confirmed directly, many of the residents who attended the meeting lived along Vincent Street. Residents also expressed general favorability to adding an additional pick-up/drop-off zone on-site along Francisca Avenue, which is not within the control of the City. Specific to the City’s project, residents reacted favorably to protected bike lanes that limited parking loss, curb extensions and lane narrowing to reduce speeds, and dedicated bicycle entryways into on-campus bicycle parking. However, residents were not in favor of expanding pick-up/drop-off spaces along Vincent Park. Residents also requested additional bicycle racks on-campus (RBUSD property) and off-campus (City property) to absorb bike parking demand.
DISCUSSION
As shown in Figure 9 of the report, the City is proposing to restripe Diamond Street to achieve traffic calming/slower speeds, improved bicycle riding experiences, improved safety, clearer pick-up/drop-off zones, and safer intersections. For Diamond Street, this includes:
• Narrowed vehicular lanes to decrease speeds on Diamond
• Parking-protected bicycle lane sections where feasible to improve safety
• Buffered bicycle lanes where on-street parking preservation is important
• More robust bicycle lane striping to current best practice
• Bus stop relocation at Diamond/Helberta (near side to far side) to improve crosswalk compliance and adhere to bus stop best practices
• In-street bicycle parking corral near Starbucks to encourage on-street bike riding
• Dedicated bicycle left-turn lane into Sea Hawk Way, and possibly into future Francisca pick-up/drop-off zone2, to address safety issues
• Dedicated bike entry into bike parking areas in RUHS
• Curb extensions and protected median islands at major crosswalk locations along Diamond to simplify turning movements and improve safety
• Refreshed pick-up/drop-off zones along Diamond Street to improve usage, to be utilized as short-term parking during the school day for visitors.
The proposed changes on Diamond Street will result in the loss of approximately 12 parking spaces. Only one of those parking spaces is located west of Del Amo Street where parking utilization is high (82/86) during school days. The remaining 11 parking spaces proposed to be removed on Diamond are east of Del Amo Street, where supply exceeds demand by 68 spaces. Some parking space removal is required in order to accommodate the proposed sections of protected/buffered bicycle lanes and the bicycle turn lane.
Limited changes are proposed along RUHS’ southern frontages. This consists of:
• Converting non-standard and underutilized ADA (two spaces) and police (one space) parking along Vincent Park to school peak-period loading to improve curbspace efficiency and traffic circulation, with daytime short-term parking available for members of the public (e.g. school, Vincent Park, etc.) outside of loading zone hours. No existing preferential permit spaces are proposed to be modified or removed.
• Refreshed loading zone signage to improve operations and usability.
Staff would also like to note that RBUSD is embarking on a separate project to create another on-campus pick-up/drop-off zone along the southern extension of Francisca Avenue south of Diamond Street. While this area is owned and controlled by RBUSD, City and RBUSD staff are working together so that their project is amenable to both parties and the community. It is expected that this separate project would absorb some existing demand from other existing loading zones (on and off RUHS property).
Staff is seeking public and Commission input on whether to move forward with the proposed changes along Diamond Street and the south frontage of RUHS. If recommended by the PWSC and approved by the City Council, staff will issue a notice-to-proceed to the consultant to commence preparation of plans and specifications for construction.
COORDINATION
Coordination of this report took place within the Public Works Department and with prominent staff of the RBUSD. Community engagement was carried out through the District 2 councilmember.
ATTACHMENTS
• Public Noticing Area
• Redondo Union High Access Study and Design Evaluation Report