New Red Curb Policy on Deck for Murrieta

A streamlined red curb placement policy may soon take effect in Murrieta.

The matter was brought before the Murrieta Traffic Commission in November 2011 after there were some public requests for city-marked red curb, according to city documents.

"City staff regularly receives requests to install red curb or parking restrictions," wrote Engineering Manager Bob Moehling, in a report prepared for City Council.

Many requests for red curb come from within residential areas, according to Moehling.

A draft policy was approved by the Traffic Commission in January, and is set to go before City Council during its

The Red Curb Usage Policy will set clear guidelines for those requests, he wrote. It does not provide for red curb in residential neighborhoods unless one or more of four criteria are met:

• It is to establish safe turn lanes;
• It is necessary for safe vehicle maneuvering near intersections, driveways, or other areas in question;
• It is necessary for drivers' sight clearance near intersections, driveways or other areas in question;
• And/or it is to establish no parking zones near schools.

Factors considered by city engineers for establishing safe turn lanes would include parking demand, existing and future traffic volumes, availability of alternate parking, accident history, width of road and land use.

For implementing red curb near schools, factors to be considered would include existing turn lanes, drop-off and pick-up patterns, pedestrian crossing zones and safe routes to schools maps.

Factors would also come into play for red curb necessary to provide adequate drivers' sight when turning from a minor street onto a major street, and in providing safe maneuverability for drivers where parked cars might otherwise prevent it.

Newly-installed red curb would be distinguished by a city of Murrieta "Gem of the Valley" stencil, as would existing curb during routine maintenance.

Red curb is not necessary in front of fire hydrants or driveways, as those spaces are already enforceable with tickets and removal, the policy states; nor is red curb appropriate by mailboxes.