Orindans Wave Goodbye to Left Turns Onto Whitehall Drive

The Orinda city council voted to prohibit left turns and u-turns onto Whitehall Drive from Moraga Way during school drop-off hours at a city council at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The new traffic rule states that cars will not be able to turn left or make a U-turn between the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. This prohibition is already in practice on Southwaite Court and Ivy Drive off of Moraga Way.

Neighbors who live on Whitehall Drive were concerned about safety, as both students and parents used Whitehall Drive as an alternate route to get to Orinda Intermediate School and Miramonte High School.

Cheryl Sinco said that many residents in the area are worried about the children who walk to Del Rey School and .

“At the end of the day, our concern is for the children, and we feel that they are at risk on a daily basis,” Sinco said.

Some members of the public suggested that the bigger problem was access to Miramonte High School and drop-off areas.

The city council passed the resolution with an amendment that a report on the effects of the new rule be brought back to the city council within a year.

In other action, the council was also given an update on Phase 1B of the Orinda Wilder Park.

City engineer Janice Carey said she was very pleased with the amount of use the new fields have seen on very short notice. Different camps, including soccer and lacrosse, have been using the finished fields this summer. 

What do you think about the new traffic rule? Should you be allowed to take short cuts to get to school? Let us know what you think in the comments below.