City agrees to 5-foot parking ban on El Toyonal during red flag days

Right before a flurry of red flag days, the Orinda city council on Aug. 18 adopted a ban on parking within 5 feet of the edge of the roadway on El Toyonal. The matter came back to the council after staff was asked to come up with the best distance to assure that emergency vehicles can access the top of the hill while residents can safely evacuate if needed. The ban addresses parking alongside the road, and includes private driveways, so that vehicle parking must leave 5 feet of space from where the driveway meets the road.

Council Member Inga Miller recognized that it is a hard topic, and inconvenient for people dealing with high fire risk, but she said, "For me it is a safety issue." She mentioned terrible tragedies that have occurred right on the other side of the same hill. Council Member Nick Kosla asked that complaints and compliments be monitored over the next six months, and Director of Public Works/Assistant City Manager Larry Theis agreed. "This is a pilot program," he added, that may be expanded to other streets in the future. He promised to track how it goes on El Toyonal and report back before the next fire season.

Council Member Dennis Fay thinks the city will learn a lot from the pilot program, and that it will inform work in other parts of Orinda. While Mayor Darlene Gee acknowledged that there may be some inconvenience, she said, "We are all aware of the danger and how challenging this area is." She agreed with Miller's memories of the Oakland Hills fire. The measure passed unanimously.



		print story Before you print this article, please remember that it will remain in our archive for you to visit anytime. download pdf (use the pdf document for best printing results!)
		Comments
		Send your comment to: info@lamorindaweekly.com Reach the reporter at: sora@lamorindaweekly.com

		This article was published on Page A6:

Quick Links for LamorindaWeekly.com
Home Archive Advertise send artwork to: ads@lamorindaweekly.com Classified ads Lamorinda Service Directory About us and How to Contact us Submit Letter to the Editor Send stories or ideas to: storydesk@lamorindaweekly.com Send sports stories and photos to: sportsdesk@lamorindaweekly.com Subscribe to receive a delivered or mailed copy Subscribe to receive storylinks by email	Content Civic Lafayette Moraga Orinda MOFD Life Sports Schools Business Food Our Homes Letters/Opinions Calendar
Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA