City Council Announces Funding for School Sidewalk Projects
[COLUMBUS,
OHIO] Councilmember
Elizabeth Brown, chair of the Finance Committee, and Councilmember Emmanuel
Remy, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee, announced today
that $2.5 million has been proposed for the installation of new sidewalks
around Columbus schools as a part of the 2018 Capital Improvement Budget.
“If
we want students to be able to walk in the door ready to learn, we need them to
be able to get to the door without anxiety for their own safety,” said
Councilmember Brown. “I’m so grateful to the student advocates at Independence
High School who highlighted the need for more sidewalks, and to the staffs of
the city and the schools who worked together on a plan forward.”
The
projects result from the joint work of a City of Columbus and Columbus City
Schools team, who used a data-driven process to evaluate the highest safety
needs throughout the city. Projects were also screened based on their alignment
with citywide priorities like improving access to bus stops, parks, libraries,
and employment centers.
“Protecting
our youngest neighbors is among the most basic duties of the City,” said
Council President Shannon Hardin. “I am proud to stand with my fellow members
as we work to invest in new sidewalks near schools.”
The
schools identified for new sidewalk installations are:
- Independence
High School
- South
High School
- Lincoln
Park Elementary School
- Livingston
Elementary School
- Highland
Elementary School
- West
Broad Elementary School
“I
am pleased that we have allocated so much funding towards sidewalks within our
great city,” said Councilmember Remy. “As chair of the Public Service and
Transportation Committee, I make it a priority of mine to stand behind all
efforts that promote and support safe routes to and from school.”
The
City also hopes to fund sidewalk improvements at Eakin Elementary through an
application for a $400,000 Safe Routes to School grant through the Ohio
Department of Transportation.
The
funding in this year’s capital budget will be used for initial design work for
the installation of new sidewalks, with an additional $2.5 million designated
in the City’s capital improvement program each year over the next five years to
continue work on the projects.
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