Drivers heading through southern Orinda will find new no-left-turn and no-right-turn signs near Ivy Drive and Moraga Way, installed Monday, Aug. 10, just one day before Orinda Union School District students return for the 2026–27 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The City of Orinda announced the changes in a civic alert Monday, calling them "Ivy Drive Circulation Improvements." The restrictions apply during morning school drop-off hours, though the city did not specify exact times, directing drivers instead to check the posted signs for hours and locations.

Orinda Intermediate School sits at 80 Ivy Drive, placing the new restrictions directly in the path of hundreds of families dropping off sixth- through eighth-graders each morning.

The intersection of Moraga Way and Ivy Drive has been a documented trouble spot. Orinda Police issued eight citations for failure to obey a sign or signal at that intersection in May 2026 alone, according to Traffic Safety Advisory Committee records. Senior Engineer Ryan O'Kane oversees the city's traffic calming projects through the committee.

The city's alert urged residents to plan their morning routes accordingly, noting the signs are already in place. The alert did not include a map of which specific intersections carry which restriction, though an image was attached to the City of Orinda's post on X.

The timing is tight.

Staff professional development days ran Aug. 6–7, and the first day of school for students is Aug. 11. Families who typically turn left or right at certain points along Ivy Drive or Moraga Way during drop-off may need to find new routes starting the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Residents with questions or concerns about the changes can attend the next Traffic Safety Advisory Committee meeting, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Sarge Littlehale Community Room at 22 Orinda Way.