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Parking & Traffic Flow

Parking and Traffic Flow (2026-2027)

Welcome Back to School! 

Even if you have been at the school in past years, please take a look at these updated guidelines and procedures for morning drop-off, afternoon pickup, and parking near the school. We’ll be sure to let you know about any changes through all the usual channels (ParentSquare, Konstella, etc.). 

Drop-off: Do's and Don'ts

Morning quickdrop will be between 8:15am-8:35am this year—five minutes earlier than last year because of the new bell schedule. Volunteers in yellow vests in front of school will help open car doors, take backpacks, and keep the line moving. Please help them out by remembering the following tips:

  • DO pull all the way up to the front of the drop-off line before stopping. DON'T stop short in or before the drop-off line to let your student(s) out by Gate B. Please note the white zone extends several car lengths west / downhill of Gate B, towards Taps and Takeout.
  • DO make sure the students in your car are ready to get out at quickdrop. If they need more time, DON'T hold up the drop-off line; park in the church parking lot and have them walk over to school.
  • DO your part to prevent congestion after dropping off your child(ren). DON'T make U-turns on Thornhill Dr. Instead, turn around at Thornhill / Merriewood if you need to head back west/downhill, or at the Taps and Takeout parking lot if you need to turn back east/uphill.
  • DO turn right if dropping off from the church parking lot or Alhambra Lane (Gate D). DON'T cause stressful backups. Avoid the left turn during pickup and drop-off when it is congested. Instead, turn right and make that U-turn at Thornhill/Merriewood. 
  • DO keep all residential driveways clear. DON'T pull into, in front of, or otherwise block the apartment driveways across the street from school. We have regularly received complaints in the past and want to maintain good relations with our neighbors.
  • DO keep staff parking spots and the Alhambra quickdrop throughway clear. Review the St. John's parking map below and only park in the 30 gravel spaces marked in green. DON'T park in a way that blocks the path to the Alhambra quickdrop or park in teachers' parking spots. We need them in our classrooms on time!
  • DO use available crosswalks and obey all pedestrian safety rules. DON'T cross Thornhill Dr. in the middle of the block—especially with kids in tow (!) 
  • DO spread the word about our school traffic safety rules. If someone else—a grandparent, caregiver, friend, etc.—is doing drop-off/pickup and are not on the newsletter, Konstella, ParentSquare, or other school communications, please share these notes with them.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to volunteer with the traffic team—volunteers are always needed!—please talk to Peter Russo (2026-27 Traffic Coordinator) or email quickdrop@thornhillschool.org .

 

 

Where to Park

Guidelines to Remember

1. SLOW YOUR ROLL

  • The school zone speed limit is 15mph, and the speed limit everywhere else on Thornhill Drive is 25mph. Please respect those speed limits – both to ensure the safety of the pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers who use Thornhill, and to show the neighborhood that the safety of our kids matters. 
  • Thornhill is VERY congested during morning drop-off, and traffic headed towards Highway 13 often backs up. Please give yourself plenty of time to get to school and navigate the traffic so that you’re not endangering our school community and neighborhood by speeding and driving unsafely.


2. MORNING DROP-OFF GUIDELINES

  • Morning drop-off to JCC. This year JCC is offering a before-school program, starting at 7:00am.
    • Between 7:00-8:00am, drivers may park in the white curb zone in front of school and leave their cars when dropping their kid(s) off to JCC.
    • Starting at 8:00am, there is no parking in white curb zone, and cars left unattended there are subject to ticketing and towing!
    • After 8:00am, drivers must park in the St. John’s parking lot, or find a legal spot either on Thornhill Drive or a side street (see parking guidelines, below and refer to the map above in the drop down menu).
  • Morning drop-off for TK/Kindergarteners. TKers and Kindergarteners must be escorted by their parent/guardian into the schoolyard for the first two weeks of school (8/10-8/21). Starting at Week 3 (8/24), these students may be dropped off at either o the quick drop spots below (though the TK & kinder teachers recommend continuing to walk them into the schoolyard if you are able!) 
    • You may enter the schoolyard at Gate C starting at 8:15am and line up on the ramp in front of the main entrance.
    • Do not park in the white curb zone in front of the school; rather, please park in the St. John’s parking lot, or find a legal spot either on Thornhill Drive or a side street (see parking guidelines, below).
  • Morning curbside dropoff (a.k.a. “quickdrop”) for 1st-5th graders on THORNHILL DRIVE. Between 8:15-8:35am (Note: this is five minutes earlier than 25-26 due to the earlier bell schedule) you may drop your 1st-5th grader(s) off in the white curb zone in front of school. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
    • Follow any instructions from the parent volunteers in yellow vests.
    • Do not let your kid(s) out of the car until you are fully inside the drop-off zone, and your vehicle is parallel to the curb.
    • Once inside the dropoff zone, pull as far forward as you can so that more vehicles may enter.
    • Please make sure your child already has their jacket on and bag packed so that they can exit quickly. If your child needs help zipping up their jacket or backpack, tying a shoe, or unbuckling from the carseat, our friendly parent volunteers can help. Drivers should NOT exit the car, as this slows down the line for everyone else. 
    • Do not park your car or wait in your car in the disabled parking spot in front of the school unless you have a state-issued disabled person placard or license plate.
    • After dropping your kid(s) off, continue to pull forward and exit the drop-off zone at the far end. Visibility is limited, so exiting the dropoff zone early is very dangerous. 
    • If you need to head back toward Mountain Boulevard and the freeway, please continue east (uphill) on Thornhill and make a U-turn at Merriwood Drive. Do not make a U-turn in front of the school. Doing so is unsafe, causes traffic to back up, and may result in a ticket!
  • Morning curbside drop-off for 1st-5th graders on ALHAMBRA LANE. A second drop-off zone is at Gate D on Alhambra Lane. Between 8:15-8:35am you may drop your 1st-5th grader(s) off here. The guidelines for Alhambra are a bit different:
    • Enter the church parking lot over the new bridge off Thornhill Drive, which is just east of school. Do not enter the church parking lot from Gouldin Drive, as in past years.
    • Drive up the hill past the new parking area, turn right, go past the teacher reserved parking on your left, and continue right onto Alhambra Drive. Pull forward to Gate D.
    • ‼️ Please be sure not to obstruct the cul-de-sac on Alhambra! Rather, stop at the stop sign just before the cul-de-sac.
    • If possible, please have your kid(s) exit out of the left side of the vehicle. 
    • When exiting back onto Thornhill Drive, please turn right and then make a U-turn at Merriewood Drive if you need to head back toward Mountain Boulevard and the freeway. Turning left onto Thornhill is difficult, and backs up traffic.
    • ‼️ Beware that the bottom of Alhambra Lane between Thornhill Drive and the cul-de-sac is a two-way street. Above the cul-de-sac Alhambra is one-way in the downhill direction, protected with a spike strip.


3. AFTERNOON PICKUP GUIDELINES

  • Afternoon pickup for TK/Kindergarteners. As with morning dropoff, TK/Kindergarteners must be escorted off campus by a parent/guardian. 
    • Park in the St. John’s parking lot, or find a legal spot either on Thornhill Drive or a side street. Do not park in the white curb zone in front of the school.
    • You may enter the schoolyard at Gate C starting at 2:15pm (1:10pm on Wednesdays and other minimum days). 
  • Afternoon pickup for 1st-5th graders on Thornhill Drive. 
    • You may park at St. John’s or other legal parking spots and walk to the gates to pickup your child.
  • Afternoon pickup from JCC.
    • Before 4:00pm, drivers must park in the St. John’s parking lot, or find a legal spot either on Thornhill Drive or a side street (see parking guidelines map). 
    • Cars left unattended in the white curb zone in front of school before 4:00pm are subject to ticketing and towing!
    • After 4:00pm, drivers may park in the white curb zone and leave their cars when picking their kid(s) up from JCC.​


4. GENERAL CAR PARKING INFORMATION

There is no parking in the white curb zone in front of school between 8am-4pm on school days. Violators may be ticketed and towed by the city! The City of Oakland enforces it every now and then, and does issue parking tickets. We may revisit the parking rules in that area this year—a green curb / 12-minute parking may be more appropriate—but for now, beware!

  • If you need to park and walk into school at drop-off or pickup, please park at the 30 gravel parking spots at St. John’s parking lot, or find a legal spot either on Thornhill Drive or on a side street at all other times. 

  • Be aware when pulling into and out of St. John’s parking lot that you are crossing a very busy sidewalk for school children and our neighbors. 
  • Do not park anywhere else at St. John’s. The rest of that parking lot is reserved for other uses, including Thornhill teacher & staff parking, and St. John's preschool. Anyone parking there outside of the 30 spots who does not have a permit will be subject to ticketing and/or towing. 
  • When exiting the St. John’s parking lot at a busy time, please consider turning right onto Thornhill Drive and making a U-turn at Merriwood Drive if you need to head back toward Mountain Boulevard and the freeway. 
  • Besides a handful of parking spots in front of MCPC which are typically reserved for their students, there is otherwise no parking on Thornhill Drive directly across the street from school. 


5. CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS

We encourage biking and walking whenever that's an option for your family!

  • Whether you biked, parked and walked, or walked all the way, you can drop your kid(s) off at Gates A and C in the morning, and pick them up at Gates A, B, and C in the afternoon. 

  • If you ride a cargo bike to school, you may park it in the barricaded area in front of Gate C during morning dropoff and afternoon pickup times. Please do not block the sidewalk with your bike. 
  • There is a bike rack in the schoolyard, just inside of Gate C, for anyone who needs to park their bike at school for a longer period of time. 

​​Questions? Suggestions?
Want to Help?

We need more volunteers for morning quickdrop!!

We lost several longtime members of the traffic crew because of moves and graduations. Please join us if you can -- it's a small commitment (just 20 minutes before school), a fun and easy job, and you get to say hi to everyone 👋🏼

That's all for now! There will probably be a few more announcements in the coming weeks as we dial everything in. In the meantime, if you have questions, concerns, or want to volunteer with the traffic crew, please email the PFC Traffic Coordinator, Peter Russo, at quickdrop@thornhillschool.org.