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L/RAIN Temp: 43 °F Wind: N at 4 mph Wednesday, December 11, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 24, 2002 Grants to provide street improvements for students By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Schoolchildren in Gold Hill, Central Point and Jacksonville will be a lot safer in the future, thanks to $356,690 in recent grants from the Oregon Department of Transportation to build sidewalks and make other street improvements. Jackson County garnered 18 percent of ODOT’s $2 million in bicycle and pedestrian safety grants that will help 19 communities in Oregon. The money will pay for sidewalks to give students better access to schools, particularly in high traffic areas, as well as bicycle lanes. In Oregon, 88 communities applied for the grants, but ODOT whittled down the list based on safety, usage and proximity to schools, parks, shopping centers, transit stations and bus stops. Jacksonville and Central Point received a total of $156,690. Gold Hill was the biggest winner locally, receiving $200,000 that will be part of $2.1 million in other grants and community contributions to upgrade the downtown area. "It’s going to change the face of downtown Gold Hill," said Public Works Superintendent Royal Gasso. The money will pay for the final stretch of 2,700 feet of sidewalk on Highway 234 from the bridge at Rogue River up to Patrick Elementary School. Striping for cycle lanes also will be part of the project. "This pretty much completes the system of pedestrian and cycle lanes for years to come," said Michael Ronkin, bicycle and pedestrian program manager for ODOT. This is part of an overall downtown project that will improve the main roadway, install storm drains, erect crossing arms where Highway 234 turns into Fourth Street and other improvements. Gasso said sidewalks in the downtown area will be enlarged from their current 8-foot width to 10 feet to allow for trees and benches. Until this latest grant, the city had been struggling to find a way to extend the sidewalks all the way to Patrick Elementary School to make it safer for schoolchildren. "We now have the missing funds to go all the way," he said. Still, the city is hoping it will have enough money left over from the funding to install lighting to improve the look of the downtown area. Design work for the projects has begun, but Gasso said construction won’t start until summer 2004, with completion expected by the end of that year. Central Point will get $87,690 in grant money that will be combined with a city contribution to allow for $103,440 of sidewalks on N. Second Street. The sidewalks will be installed from Hazel Street next to Crater High School up to Pine Street in the downtown area. In Jacksonville, the grant will build a sidewalk on E Street from the entrance to the cemetery to Blackstone Alley. It will connect with other sidewalks that serve Jacksonville Elementary and Cascade Christian schools. ODOT is contributing $69,000 toward the $80,000 project. Money for the projects will be made available in July. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S