Traffic Study Findings Allow Grant Bowl Lighting Project to Move Forward

At a December meeting, parents and student-athletes at Grant High School learned they would need to pay approximately $15,000 for a traffic impact study—another obstacle in the long-running effort to add lights and seating to the Grant Bowl sports field.

The requirement came after some neighbors urged the city to assess how increased field use with lights might affect traffic, citing concerns about potential disruptions to the neighborhood. The Grant Bowl Community Coalition, which supports the project, questioned why it had to bear the cost but ultimately funded the study.

Now, the results are in: The study found that installing lights would not impact traffic during peak hours (4 to 6 p.m.) and would have no effect on pedestrian or cyclist safety.

In addition, the coalition proactively spent $5,000 on a parking survey, said co-founder Virginia La Forte. According to a memo from Bora Architecture, the survey found “plenty of available on-street parking for residents during evening sports events.”

The firm also noted that adding field lighting would allow Grant Bowl events to begin after 5 p.m., improving parking availability for residents.