Safe Routes to School Success

By Friends of the Trails | October 7, 2009 | Comments Off on Safe Routes to School Success

Safe Routes to School success is growing. The City of Quincy was awarded $322,000 in the 2007 application cycle to implement a sidewalk in front of Monroe School on Payson Road. The construction began in the Spring of 2009 to widen Payson Road and install sidewalks from 24th St. to 36th St. IDOT was working on updating the intersection at Payson Road and 36th this summer also.

The City of Quincy also submitted two grants for the application cycle of 2008 for funding to address biking and walking problems at St. Dominic’s School and Baldwin Intermediate School. This summer we found out that both of our grant requests had been granted. This is a huge success since we are the only Illinois community outside of Chicago to receive this type of financial support. We received $250,000 for improvements by Baldwin School. This encompasses changing the four lane road into a two lane road with a center turning lane from 30th-36th Street on Maine. It will also put in sidewalks where they are currently not present and insert a full intersection at 33rd. This intersection will allow the schools to close two of the other entrances/exits present.

St. Dominic’s was awarded $206,139 for road widening and sidewalk placement on the north side of the road. The funds will be used to fix the current crosswalk putting in curb gutter and sewer to create a formal area for students to cross the road. The construction looks like it will take place in 2011 at this time, due to the lengthy letting process from all the stimulus projects in the works in the state. Even though the program is helping us address barriers to children walking or biking to school, we additionally need to consistently encourage area students to walk and bike to school.
If you would like to learn more about the Safe Routes to School Program and how you can help, please log on to www.saferoutesinfo.org for more information.
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