Streator seeks grant for Riverside sidewalks

Kimes School parents soon will be asked to fill out a survey.

Their answers will be used to help the city of Streator acquire $216,500 in grant money to put in sidewalks in the Riverside neighborhood leading to the kindergarten through second-grade elementary school.

The grant money would come from the state's highly competitive Safe Routes to School program, and fund the project at 100 percent with no match required by the city.

The program's initiative is to encourage families to walk and ride bikes to school.

New sidewalks are proposed on east-west routes Riverside Avenue, Sundown Street and Caroll Street connecting the Main and Bridge streets bridges, as well as the Hopalong Cassidy River Trail, to the north-and-south route Clark Street.

City Engineer Jeremy Palm, who worked with Kimes School officials, said constructing sidewalks on Columbus Street was avoided due to the high traffic. They preferred creating a sidewalk route on Clark Street that would lead up to the school's entrance for a safer route.

Additionally, a sidewalk would be put in on Reading Street across from the school to accommodate a bus stop.

A public hearing was conducted during Wednesday's City Council meeting and no one from the public commented. The plan is not finalized, and Palm said City Hall will be taking comments until Friday, Nov. 9, as the grant application is due Monday, Nov. 19.

A survey will be passed out to all Kimes School parents. Questions will ask parents how they take their children to school, including how often they walk or ride bikes.

"This is valuable info that we hope parents will return to the school," Palm said.

Parents who don't live in the Riverside area are encouraged to return the surveys.

Councilman Ed Brozak said he sees many children cross Columbus Street from the west, and wondered if modifications can be made to accommodate them.