Safety Improvements Sought for School Walking Routes

The city is looking to boost the safety of walking routes to four local schools by implementing a series of sidewalk and street upgrades.

The Safe Routes to School Project calls for the installation of bulb-outs (curb extensions), in-pavement crosswalk lights, flashing beacons, pedestrian ramps, traffic striping and signing, said Associate Engineer Tatiana Holden.

"We'd like to promote walking and biking," she said.

After conducting a study, the city determined that , and were most in need of the safety improvements, Holden said.

She said one of the aims of the project would be to improve safety at intersections near schools that don't have traffic signals. An example of that is that intersection of Lost Hills and Cold Springs roads at the rear of A.E. Wright Middle School, which is slated for for bulb-out installations, Holden said.

The city will begin reviewing bids on July 17 from contractors who would like to execute the project, while is scheduled to award the contract at its Aug. 8 meeting.

The city has about $328,000 in grant money set aside for the improvements, which could begin seeing the light day around the beginning of the 2012-13 school year, Holden said.