Cape in early stages of creating safer sidewalk routes

The city of Cape Girardeau is in the early stages of creating safer routes for students who walk and bike to schools in the center of town.

On Nov. 21, the city council authorized entering into a design services contract for sidewalks along streets near Franklin Elementary, Central Middle School, Central Junior High School and St. Vincent de Paul Elementary. Funding for the project comes from the Safe Routes to Schools Program, a federal aid program through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

States administer their own programs and develop procedures to select projects for funding. The program establishes funding opportunities for infrastructure projects, such as engineering improvements, and other activities, such as education, enforcement and encouragement programs.

The city applied for a 2008 grant cycle from the program in 2007 but did not initially receive one, said Kelly Green, the the city's development services director. Early in 2011, the city was notified it would receive funding from 2008 after the state determined that funds were available.

Cape Girardeau will receive $176,449.40 for the 2008 grant. That funding is planned to be put to use constructing sidewalks on the west side of Clark Avenue from Broadway to New Madrid Street; the east side of Clark Avenue from Broadway to Themis Street; the east side of Cordelia Avenue from Independence Street to Whitener Street; the east side of Sheridan Drive from William Street to Independence Street; the west side of Minnesota Avenue from William Street to Independence Street; the east side of Keller Avenue from Independence Street to Themis Street; the west side of Keller Avenue from Themis Street to Luce Street; and the west side of Louisiana Avenue from Whitener Street to an alley near Franklin Elementary.

Neil Glass, administrative services director of the Cape Girardeau School District, said the city discussed the project with the district earlier in the year.

"Any time there is opportunity to provide better and safer routes to school, we are in favor of it," he said.

Students who live within a mile of their school and do not have to cross what the district determines as a "major thoroughfare" are not provided with bus transportation by the district. Glass said many students who walk to school live in that area of town.

Glass said he is not aware of any incidents involving traffic and students that walk or bike to school, but that excessive street parking near Franklin Elementary has been a safety concern for the district.

"Students are having to walk on the other side of cars, and that increases the potential for an incident to occur," he said.

Green said the targeted completion date for the project is before the start of the 2012-2013 school year. That completion date would coincide with the completion of several bond issue projects in the school district, including the $10 million new Franklin Elementary School, a new library at the junior high and improvements and renovations at the middle school. Construction projects are also underway at St. Vincent de Paul Elementary.

"On a regular basis we get calls requesting sidewalk gaps be filled in some areas. Clark Avenue is a major concern for some people," Green said.

With St. Vincent de Paul Elementary, a preschool, the public library and the junior high and middle schools all located in that area, students often walk along the street. A goal of the program is also to connect residential areas to the schools, she said.

Glass said interruption in school district services would not likely occur as long as the projects were completed in the summer. If they were not, there would likely need to be alternate bus and student walking routes near the schools.

The same program funded improvements to walking routes near all of the district's elementary schools in 2007 by providing funding for safety signage and flashing beacons.

The city will receive another grant through the program for this year to construct sidewalks along Kingsway Drive from Kurre Lane to Janet Drive. That project would improve walking and biking access to streets near Alma Schrader Elementary. Green said design plans have not been created yet for that project.

Cape Girardeau will receive $223,600 in the 2011 grant and is among 16 cities in the state, including Bloomfield, Doniphan and Potosi in Southeast Missouri, that will receive funding for infrastructure improvements.

No matching is required of the city for the grants. Green said if a project were to exceed the amount provided by a grant that money from the city's transportation trust fund would likely be used, because filling in of sidewalk gaps can be included in the purpose of the trust's funding.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627