With a study now approved, the city of Emporia will continue conversations with the Multi-Use Planning Board, USD 253 Emporia and the Kansas Department of Transportation for potential Safe Routes to Schools improvements.
City Engineer Jim Ubert says there are a range of what he calls “easier picking” improvements that can help both pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
There are no cost estimates currently available, either with the relatively easy projects or with others that may not have as much community support — things like refuge islands, median adjustments or narrowing certain streets to reduce pedestrian crossings.
This follows a community survey and site visits earlier this spring. Safe Routes is an infrastructure project fully funded by the Kansas Department of Transportation. The local work is part of a planning grant announced by KDOT early this year to analyze existing conditions and to identify possible issues, both with infrastructure and non-infrastructure, near local schools.
Now that the study is approved, the city plans to approach potential improvements on a case-by-case basis, based on available state funding. Ubert says the city will also keep the study in mind when it has upcoming projects near schools.
*Click here for the agenda packet from last week’s Emporia City Commission meeting, including the Safe Routes to Schools study. The report goes from pages 53-117, including an overview, public concerns and engineering recommendations by school and general information about travel behaviors.
