Schools

Governor Quinn Announces Illinois Awarded $5.9 Million for Safe Routes to School Program


More Than 50 New Federally Funded Projects to Create a Safe Environment for Students to Walk and Bike to School

CHICAGO –(ENEWSPF)–November 29, 2014.  Governor Pat Quinn today announced Illinois has been awarded a $5.9 million federal investment to create Illinois Safe Routes to School. This federally funded program is designed to enable and encourage children to walk and bike to school by creating a safe environment. Today’s announcement is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to improve public safety across Illinois.

“Students deserve to feel safe while traveling to and from school every day,” Governor Quinn said. “The Safe Routes to School program will help communities improve public safety to keep students safe and promote healthy habits like walking and biking to school.”

The 58 projects encompass safety efforts such as repair and new construction of sidewalks, pedestrian countdown signals, speed feedback signs and equipment for police to ensure students’ safety when walking and biking to school.

In support of the program, the Illinois Department of Transportation will continue to work with communities to provide safety training and educational materials to further encourage safe, healthy and green alternatives for children to get to school. This will help ensure a consistent statewide program and favorable outcomes from the Safe Routes to School projects.

Illinois Safe Routes to School is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. The program is designed to provide a safe environment to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school and encourage a healthy lifestyle from an early age. The program also facilitates projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.

For more information about the Illinois Safe Routes to School Program, visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/local-transportation-partners/county-engineers-and-local-public-agencies/safe-routes-to-school/index.

The Illinois Safe Routes to School investments include:

Bureau County

The City of Princeton will receive $131,200 to improve sidewalk accessibility around five K-8 schools and improve signs in designated areas.

Carroll County

The City of Savanna and the West Carroll School District CUSD #314 will receive $160,000 to construct a new sidewalk along Wacker Road and Will and Hickory Streets.

Champaign County

The City of Urbana will receive $15,840 for a joint project with the Urbana School District, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission and local bicycle groups to put into place an expanded Walking School Bus Program into three more elementary schools.

Coles County

The City of Mattoon will receive $10,880 for the purchase of a speed feedback sign to be used within CUSD #2 school zones.

Cook County

The City of Chicago will receive $81,536 to expand the Chicago Police Department’s Parent Patrol Program to 16 additional schools. The Parent Patrol Program encourages children to walk to and from Chicagoland schools and ensures student safety from crime and traffic.

The Village of Merrionette Park will receive $160,000 to replace and install new sidewalks leading to schools for students in grades K-8.

The Village of Pheonix will receive $160,000 to construct new sidewalks and replace substandard sidewalks in the area around Coolidge Middle School.

The Village of Schiller Park will receive $108,480 for “Schiller Park Walks,” a collaborative effort between School District 81 and the village. The project includes purchasing solar illuminated stop signs and vehicle speed feedback signs to increase pedestrian safety around the schools.

The Village of Skokie will receive $60,000 to complete public sidewalks along Cleveland Street and Keeney Street.

The Village of Prospect Heights will receive $160,000 to install sidewalks to connect neighborhoods and three schools.

The City of Oak Park will receive $137,280 to upgrade pedestrian signals to LED countdown signals and upgrade traffic controllers at 26 intersections. The city will also receive $12,000 for the Bikes on Wheels experiential education program. The Oak Park Police Department will receive $12,319 to purchase a portable speed feedback device and $17,596 to purchase a speed monitor full matrix trailer to assist with speed enforcement.

The Village of Mount Prospect will receive $92,400 for the Central Road – Weller Land pedestrian crossing improvement project which will include a refuge island, a rectangular rapid flashing beacon system, accessibility ramps, new signs, and new pavement markings

The City of Country Club Hills will receive $160,000 to construct sidewalks on 180th Street and Kostner Avenue.

The City of Richton Park will receive $136,000 to construct a new sidewalk along Klawitter Park north of Neil Armstrong School and new curb ramps and a sidewalk east of Richton Square School.

The City of Harwood Heights will receive $141,600 to upgrade intersection signs and improve ramp accessibility around the Union Ridge Elementary School.

The City of Evanston will receive $88,000 to install solar powered vehicle speed feedback signs near designated school crossings.

The City of Brookfield will receive $155,688 to replace and construct sidewalks.

Morton Grove will receive $24,000 to purchase a speed enforcement mobile trailer, portable speed enforcement display signs, and folding signs and safety vests for use by school officials.

Cumberland County

The City of Neoga will receive $160,000 to construct sidewalks linking two residential areas to the Neoga Elementary School.

DuPage County

The City of Lisle will receive $160,000 to construct 1,650 feet of sidewalk along Winchester Avenue from Ogden Avenue to Middleton Avenue, providing a direct biking and walking route to Tate Woods Elementary School.

The City of Naperville will receive $160,000 to install approximately 1.1 miles of new sidewalk to fill gaps in the sidewalk.

The City of Hinsdale will receive $6,143 for a portable speed trailer for use in school zones and adjacent roadways.

Grundy County

The Village of Coal City and the Coal City CUSD #1 will receive $160,000 for phased-in sidewalk improvement for the neighborhood adjacent to the Coal City Elementary and Intermediate Schools, as well as the Coal City Library.

The City of South Wilmington will receive $157,268 to construct sidewalks to provide access to the South Wilmington Grade School District schools.

Jefferson County

The City of Mount Vernon will receive $158,175 to construct new sidewalks in the neighborhood adjacent to Summersville Grade School CUSD #79.

Jo Daviess County

The City of East Dubuque will receive $8,422 to construct a new sidewalk that runs from East Dubuque Elementary School to Clinton Avenue.

Kane County

The City of Aurora will receive $79,461 to construct sidewalk along the west side of Eastern Avenue from Liberty Street to Coolidge Avenue.The City of Aurora will also receive $50,097 to fill sidewalk gaps on Randall Road from Garfield Avenue to Galena Boulevard.

The City of Elgin and CUSD #46 will receive $24,000 to purchase portable speed feedback signs to be posted in school zones.

Kendall County

The Village of Oswego will receive $11,513 for the Safe Routes for School program at Traughber Junior High School to install regulatory and warning signs including two flashing beacons and two vehicle speed feedback signs.

Lake County

Winthrop Harbor will receive $24,000 to purchase a speed enforcement mobile trailer, portable speed enforcement signs, folding signs and safety vests for school officials, and to perform a study to identify areas to address sidewalk gaps.

Lawrence County

The City of Lawrenceville will receive $64,308 to construct 5,590 feet of sidewalk along Cedar Street, and on Porter Street between Cedar Street and James Street.

Macoupin County

The City of Carlinville will receive $111,029 for the Carlinville Safe Routes to School Project, which will address sidewalks, traffic control devices, pedestrian crossing improvements and secure bicycle parking facilities.

McHenry County

The City of Woodstock will receive $140,000 for the Woodstock Safe Routes to Northside Schools Complex project to encourage walking and biking for K-8 students by providing continuous and level sidewalks.

McLean County

The City of Chenoa will receive $160,000 to install 5,000 feet of sidewalk on two city blocks adjacent to the grade school.

The City of Bloomington will receive $160,000 for the construction of the Benjamin School Trail, which will provide an off-route bicycle and pedestrian pathway for elementary school children.

Monroe County

The City of Columbia will receive $158,949 to add sidewalks, curb and gutter along existing streets, and create a trail to link Main Street with Columbia Middle School.

Morgan County

The City of Waverly will receive $158,400 for the removal and replacement of existing sidewalks along the main route to the Waverly CUSD #6 campus.

Peoria County

The City of Chillicothe will receive $136,000 to construct a new sidewalk on the north side of Sycamore Street from Hushaw Avenue to Benedict Street.

Piatt County

The City of Bement will receive $160,000 to improve existing sidewalks and accessibility upgrades along primary routes used to access Bement Primary and Middle School.

Pike County

The City of Pittsfield will receive $62,880 to install a footbridge and connecting sidewalks between Quail Ridge subdivision and Pikeland Community School.

Randolph County

The City of Red Bud will receive $160,000 to construct new sidewalks connecting existing subdivisions to Red Bud Elementary, St. John’s Lutheran School and St. John’s Catholic School.

Shelby County

The City of Shelbyville will receive $151,603 for the construction of new sidewalks along North 9th Street from the Shelbyville Community School campus to North Will Street and the railroad crossing.

St. Clair County

The City of Mascoutah will receive $160,000 to construct two missing sections of sidewalks along Harnett Street to complete a route for students to walk to the Mascoutah Middle and Elementary Schools from northwest and central neighborhoods.

The Village of Freeburg will receive $160,000 to complete phase one of the West Apple Street Sidewalk Connector Project, which will establish an accessible sidewalk along Apple Street from West Street to Richland Avenue.

Stephenson County

The Village of Pearl City will receive $138,590 to construct 8,648 square feet of accessible sidewalks connecting the south part of town to existing sidewalks and creating a safe and direct path to Pearl City Elementary School.

Will County

The City of Romeoville will receive $88,000 to provide new sidewalk and accessible crossings and ramps along the north side of Taylor Road, and to connect an existing sidewalk on South Budler Road to North Budler Road.

The City of Beecher will receive $118,400 to add school zone speed limit and crosswalk signs on Miller Street, Cardinal Boulevard, Church Road and Penfield Street.

The City of Crest Hill will receive $160,000 to install approximately 3,500 feet of new sidewalk connecting an existing subdivision with Richland School District. Crest Hill will also receive $24,000 for the education, maintenance and promotion of the infrastructure project.

Williamson County

The City of Marion will receive $160,000 to construct approximately 12,165 feet of sidewalk.

Woodford County

The City of Germantown Hills will receive $160,000 to extend a sidewalk from the Germantown Hills Elementary School to Wildflower Avenue.

Source: illinois.gov


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