Grants to fund sidewalks fixes so students can walk to school

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Updated: March 7, 2012 8:02AM

Several Will County communities have been chosen by the state to receive money to construct safer pedestrian routes to local schools.

The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, was created to encourage children to walk and bike to school from an early age.

The program will dole out $21.7 million for Illinois schools and communities to create safe routes for students to walk and bike to school.

More than 200 Illinois projects will be funded, including projects near five Will County schools.

The city of Braidwood will receive $250,000 for new sidewalks near Reed-Custer Intermediate School.

“We need it badly,” said James King, director of operations for the Reed-Custer School District.

There are streets near the school that do not have sidewalks, King said.

Most walkers don’t travel farther than nine-tenths of a mile, but even that distance is too far when weather gets rough, he said.

“In the wintertime if there’s snow, they’re pretty much walking down center of the street,” King said.

The district buses children farther than that to school, but would like to have sidewalks in place to encourage more walkers and bikers.

Once sidewalks are in place, the district would likely expand its walker radius and run fewer buses, he said.

“Not only is it better for the kids, it’s better for the environment,” King said. “All in all it’s much better to try to encourage walking when possible.”

Kelvin Grove Junior High School in Lockport and the city of Lockport were given a $250,000 grant to fill in missing pieces of sidewalk near the school, along Eighth Street, Valley Lane, 11th Street, Cleveland Street and Grandview Avenue.

The city would do the design and construction of the sidewalks, according to a memo by Assistant City Engineer Amy Wagner.

New or improved pavement markings and signs will be funded near Stevens Intermediate School in Wilmington, with grants of $7,880 and $89,821.

Sidewalks will be constructed or repaired near Fairmont School in Lockport with a grant of $75,504.

And sidewalks will be constructed or repaired near Chelsea Elementary School in Frankfort with a grant of $83,000.