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New Lake Elmo Elementary School & Oak-Land Middle School August 1, 2024 Transportation Study Page 29 Lake Elmo Elementary School The proposed elementary school layout includes a one-way parent pick-up/drop-off, with two lanes of queueing storage provided near the school’s main entrance. Based on the preliminary site plan, there is expected to be approximately 2,100 feet of internal queueing storage provided within the parent pick-up/drop-off lane. Based on recent (i.e. 2022 to 2024) queueing studies completed by SRF at multiple elementary schools in/around the metro (including the existing Lake Elmo Elementary School), the expected storage needed for an enrollment of 1,100 students is approximately 2,400 feet. Note this storage represents the school pick-up timeframe, which is often longer than the morning drop-off, as several parents often arrive early and wait for the school release. Comparing the expected storage needed at the proposed elementary school under the max enrollment with the preliminary site plan indicates that there is a potential deficit of approximately 300 feet of storage. This deficit may result in queues along 10th Street to block through traffic, which could cause safety and operational issues. Therefore, the following site plan considerations are provided to help increase vehicular storage on-site and improve internal operations/site circulation, which are summarized below and illustrated in Figure 13. 1. Consider extending the dual-lane storage to just east of the internal intersection to provide an additional 300 feet of on-site vehicular storage. While a dual-lane pick-up/drop-off operation could be considered, it requires significant staffing for successful implementation. The purpose of the dual-lanes in this configuration is to increase the capacity for stacking vehicles on-site before merging them into a standard single-lane pick-up/drop-off area. a. Provide adequate signage and striping to inform parents to form two lanes during school pick-up/drop-offs and merge to one lane near the designated parent pick-up/drop-off area. Note that based on other school observations, this may only be needed during school pick-ups when parents arrive early and wait for the school release. As mentioned previously, the merge point may present a learning curve for some parents, and initial implementation may require support from school staff. 2. Consider reconfiguring or redesigning the parking lot to minimize access points near the parent pick-up/drop-off outlet. This adjustment aims to decrease conflict points, designate right-of-way to reduce driver confusion, and improve circulation.