Pittsburg could soon see roadway and school crosswalk improvements

Pittsburg’s roadways and college crosswalks might quickly grow to be safer because of two grants it acquired just lately.

The largest – practically $3 million – comes from the California Division of Transportation from its Freeway Security Enchancment Program. The second, $105,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Fee, is for use to supply safer routes for strolling and biking to high school.

Councilman Jelani Killings recommended workers at Tuesday’s council assembly for all the time making use of for grants.

“That is all the time a spotlight at any time when we’re seeing grant {dollars} being activated and flowing into the neighborhood,” he stated. “….That is actually a power that now we have right here in Pittsburg, with going and attracting these grant {dollars}.”

The Metropolis Council on Tuesday additionally accepted a guide settlement for $176,856 with Kimley-Horn for the design of the deliberate enhancements of the town’s roadways. The state grant cash is for use for site visitors security research and enhancements at a number of areas within the metropolis, in accordance with the workers report.

Tentative plans embody a roadway security signal and striping audit, set up of recent fluorescent avenue indicators, and enhancements to edgeline and centerline striping on 15 roadways.

Roadways slated to be improved embody segments of Railroad Avenue, Kirker Go Street, Willow Go Street, Bailey Street, Pittsburg-Antioch Freeway, East Leland Street, Loveridge Street, Buchanan Street, West tenth Avenue, East tenth Avenue, Harbor Avenue, North Parkside Drive, California Avenue, Century Boulevard and East 14th Avenue.

This venture is important to assist improve security for motorists on the town’s roadways, Andrew Peters, assistant engineer, stated in his report.

The one member of the general public to talk, Bruce Ohlson, who calls himself Mr. Bicycle, recommended the town for the roadway enhancements however advised the town must convey its transportation infrastructure into the twenty first century.

“We have to improve selections that had been made within the Fifties and the Sixties when automobiles had been it,” he stated. “There was no different mode of transportation thought-about in any respect then. Pittsburg wants a steady community of bicycle lanes all through the town, much like the community that’s steady that now we have constructed for vehicles.”

The Secure Routes to Faculties grant, in the meantime, can pay for the set up of 5 reflecting flashing beacons with LED lights at 5 college crosswalks, together with two at Heights Elementary Faculty, and one every at Pittsburg Excessive, Highlands Elementary and St. Peter Martyr Faculty.

Affiliate engineer Stephen Cardiel stated the town hosted workshops with the Contra Costa Well being Providers to find areas that wanted enchancment.

“They’re all uncontrolled crosswalks, which is a sort of crosswalk that’s not situated at cease indicators or site visitors indicators inside 900 toes of a college,” he stated. “This makes them priorities for enhancement.”

The proposed enhancements additionally embody roadside signage at roadway crossings alongside Faculty Avenue, Seeno Avenue, Riverview Drive, West Fourth Avenue, and Buchanan Street.

Killings supported the venture and requested if extra of the flashing beacons may very well be added to different crosswalks.

“I see large worth on this program with highlighting the visibility round our crosswalks and implementing this expertise with as many intersections round our colleges as potential,” he stated.

Metropolis Supervisor Garrett Evans advised that there could be sufficient flexibility with the state roadways grant program to just do that.

“We’ll definitely take a look at easy methods to add extra,” he stated earlier than the council unanimously voted to just accept the  Secure Routes to Faculties grant.

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