Children walking to and from a pair of Visalia schools won't have to choose between dodging traffic or walking through dirt or mud after new sidewalks and crosswalks are installed over the coming year.
State grants totaling nearly half a million dollars are being awarded to Visalia under the California Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to Schools program. The money will be used to provide new sidewalks where none exist now near Four Creeks Elementary School in northeast Visalia, and near Veva Blunt Elementary School in the southwest part of the city.
Michael Carr, a senior transportation planner for the city, outlined details of the improvements to Visalia City Council members and Visalia Unified School District trustees in a joint meeting Monday.
About 1,100 feet of sidewalks will be installed on both sides of Burke Street between Houston and Harold avenues near Four Creeks Elementary, Carr said.
"Burke Street is our top priority because of the number of students who walk to school in that neighborhood," he said. A lack of sidewalks means kids often walk in the street in the mornings and afternoons, "and it's a dangerous situation we'd like to remedy."
The Burke Street project is expected to cost about $265,000, with the state grant picking up 90% of the tab.
Near Veva Blunt Elementary, another grant will pay for the installation of about 1,600 feet of sidewalks on both sides of Chinowth Street between Tulare and Myrtle avenues. The price tag for that project is about $291,000, again covered 90% by the state money.
The sidewalk projects near both schools will include crosswalks with flashing markers embedded in the pavement for greater visibility to drivers.
Carr said city officials will work with the school district to teach students about pedestrian safety, especially using the new crosswalks to cross the streets safely.
He showed pictures in which children ran across Chinowth in midblock to get to Veva Blunt Elementary.
"There's no crosswalk there now, so it's kind of a race to beat the traffic," Carr said.
Both projects are expected to be completed by next summer.
Council Member Bob Link praised the projects, but expressed concern about a third area near Linwood Elementary School in southwest Visalia.
"Right there on Linwood Street, it's really treacherous," Link said, talking about a stretch near the College of the Sequoias school farm.
"There's nowhere for the kids to go with the pasture and the farm there."
Carr said Linwood Street was, in fact, the target of a third Safe Routes to Schools application from Visalia, but state officials didn't select it to receive a grant.
But Adam Ennis, an engineer in the city's Public Works Department, said Visalia may be able to use some of its share of money from Tulare County's Measure R road tax to make the needed sidewalk improvements on Linwood.
Measure R is a half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in November 2006. Besides countywide transportation improvements, part of the formula sets aside money for use by each of the county's cities for local roads, bikeways and pedestrian paths.
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