04/21/2008
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But when the weather gets nice she doesn't hesitate to allow her daughters to walk or take their bikes or scooters to school. It helps that they are within a five-minute walk to school and live in a nice neighborhood, on a safe street.
City officials hope plans they have to create designated "Safe Routes to School," for both Gilbert and Farrington elementary schools will give more parents the confidence to allow their youngsters to walk or bike to school.
"There are a lot of parents who don't let their kids walk or bike to school for safety reasons," said Gerard Roy, city development associate. "We hope this will put parents at ease. We hope parents, instead of driving their kid a half-mile or quarter-mile to school, will have the peace of mind to let their kid walk to school."
Officials acknowledge not every child has such a relatively safe walk to school as the Stephenson's do from their LaFayette Street home, which doesn't cross any major roads.
The same can't be said for students trying to get to Gilbert from the opposite side of busy Northern Avenue. Or, for that matter, Farrington Elementary students crossing similarly busy Eastern Avenue/Route 17, including the many Farrington students who live in the Mayfair neighborhood.
Approximately 60,000 vehicles travel in and out of Augusta on a daily basis -- 12,000 of them per day on each of the two major routes of Northern and Eastern avenues, according to the city's application, which secured about $150,000 in funding for the project. The grant funding is federal money administered through the state Department of Transportation.
The city is also providing about $10,000 for the project.
"Even taking my vehicle through there can be a little scary," Stephenson said of a Northern Avenue and Fuller Street intersection where, as part of the project, the city will add flashing lights, a sign, and an embedded, more durable crosswalk to help get the attention of motorists and, in turn, help get kids across the street safely. "That's a very high traffic area. The kids over there can get kind of stuck on the other side of the road. So I'm glad they're trying to make it safer for them."
A similar flashing light, sign, and special crosswalk will be installed at the main crossing for student walkers going to Farrington across Eastern Avenue. The flashing signs will be solar-powered.
"I think it's a great idea," said Debi Towle, who lives in the Mayfair neighborhood and has two kids, including a daughter in first grade at Farrington. "We just rode our bikes (from Farrington) today, though I don't let her go alone. We do that as often as we can, especially with the price of gas."
The city will also construct sidewalks on Cony Road near Farrington, and on Northern Avenue near Gilbert.
In addition, the city has designated official "Safe Routes to School," for both bicyclists and walkers in neighborhoods around both schools. Roy and Jerry Dostie, city engineering technician, said routes were chosen along less-traveled roads with good sidewalks.
"We didn't necessarily look for the straightest route, we looked for the safest route," Dostie said.
Bike paths will be on both sides of the road and painted with lines and symbols to be designed using each of the schools' mascots.
That's the source of Towle's only concern about the Safe Routes to School plan. She's worried the bike paths being on the sides of the streets of the designated routes will prevent residents from being able to park on the street in front of their own homes.
"If there's bike path there people won't be able to park in them," she said. "In the Mayfair neighborhood especially, many of the driveways aren't very long. If you're having a birthday party or something you won't have space for people to park."
Ward 3 Augusta Board of Education member Jane Dennison suggested students could be even safer if they use a buddy system, and walk to school with a fellow student.
The city plans to make the changes this summer, in time to be ready for the start of next school year.
Only two of the city's four elementary schools are involved because there was only enough funding for two schools. Roy said they plan to apply for another round of grant funding for the other two schools in the coming year.
Part of the program will include a contest to design the symbols to be painted on the bike paths, and posters to be used to promote use of the routes. Three bikes have been purchased for each of the four elementary schools, as have bike helmets, to serve as prizes for the contest. That part of the program cost about $5,000.
"In this day and age it's important to encourage kids to bike or walk to school, though I realize it can be worrisome for parents," said Farrington Principal Carolyn Neighoff. "These routes should be safe routes."
Roy said, the program will fit into curriculum at the schools, meant to educate youths on the importance of eating right and exercising. "It's all designed to get more kids walking and biking to school," said Roy, who wrote the grant application. "We hope to make kids lifelong health and fitness advocates for themselves."
Keith Edwards -- 621-5647
kedwards@centralmaine.com
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