New Albany takes steps toward Safe Routes projects

Village takes steps toward Safe Routes projects
By BRETT NUCKLES
Published: Tuesday, November 2, 2010 9:30 AM EDT
A new village initiative could help New Albany children get to school more safely each day. The village was accepted into the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program and will begin to apply to receive funding from the agency for capital improvements projects that will make it safer for walkers to get to and from school, village officials announced at the Oct. 18 meeting. Village Administrator Joe Stefanov said the village is considering a number of possible projects including additional mid-block crossings, programmable electronic speed limit signs that change during school hours and improvements to leisure trails. “Projects have to encompass some type of capital project that facilitates travel to and from school,” Stefanov said. The program offers grants up to $500,000 per project. Last year, ODOT gave nearly $11 million to Ohio communities to improve road crossings, signals and bike paths, “We’ll try to apply for the maximum that would be agreeable and then see where we fall in terms of the competition,” Stefanov said. Although the ODOT program does not cover the installation of additional lighting, Councilman Glyde Marsh said extra lights are needed near New Albany High School — especially as crowds leave the football stadium after Friday night games and make their way to their parked cars, he said. “I’m surprised somebody doesn’t get hit,” Marsh said. http://www.snponline.com/articles/2010/11/06/new_albany_news/news/nasaferout_20101101_0242pm_3.txt