The City of Greenville reinforced its commitment to better pedestrian safety by upgrading sidewalks and crosswalks near 10 schools.
Crews began work on the safety improvements in April. They include 63 new pedestrian ramps, 528 square yards of sidewalk repair and 59 new high-visibility crosswalks.
These safety features were installed on the roads and sidewalks around Sara Collins Elementary School, Augusta Circle Elementary School, A.J. Whittenburg Elementary School, Bob Jones Academy, Haynsworth School, J.L. Mann High School, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, Sterling School, Stone Academy and Summit Drive Elementary School.
“To our staff, students and community, it brings safety first and foremost – which is always our top priority – but also accessibility,” Sara Collins Elementary School Principal Dr. Melissa Burns said. “Whether it’s a wheelchair, whether it’s a stroller, a scooter, a bicycle, it just provides safety and accessibility.”
City engineers used results from a 2022 pedestrian safety study to select the ten campuses for this project.
“The study identified specific areas in the city on several corridors within school zones where improvements could be made to create safe routes to school for our kids,” Capital Projects Manager Greg Dawkins said.
The upgrades support the City’s “Vision Zero” plan, which strives to eliminate pedestrian injuries and deaths by targeting safety concerns in high-impact areas.
The improvements are the first phase of such efforts by the city. Crews will next begin work on a second phase of upgrades to other areas of concern.
Visit the Vision Zero Plan website for additional information.
Written by the City of Greenville.