GALVESTON —
Don Rowden takes his duties very seriously.
Every morning and afternoon that class is in session at Galveston Elementary School, Rowden mans the crossing at U.S. 35 and Griffith Street, determined to get traffic on the highway to slow down to the school-time speed limit of 20 mph.
It doesn’t always work. Rowden has been clipped twice as he ventured into the middle of the road to set up the speed limit signs or stop traffic for crossing students.
While he ushers students safely across 35, Rowden can also look from his post toward the school and watch students head down Maple and Woodland streets.
Neither of those streets have sidewalks, so the elementary school students often walk in the roadway. By next fall, that may no longer be the case.
Nearly a year and a half after a $220,000 Safe Routes to School grant was awarded, work should soon begin on new sidewalks along those two streets. The routes were identified as two of the best areas to make children’s journey to and from school less treacherous, officials said.
“I don’t think we’ve had too many problems, but it’d just be nice to have a safer way to get there,” said Pat Gunnell, Galveston Town Council president.
The town council last week discussed what final steps need to be taken so the project is ready for bids. The federal grant administered by Indiana Department of Transportation will cover the complete cost of about 3,000 feet of new sidewalk heading to Galveston Elementary.
The preliminary engineering for the project is nearly finished, said Marty Spees of Fleis & Vandenbrink Engineering. He told town council members earlier this month that it was 95 percent complete.
The project should be ready to be bid in March or April, he said.
Gunnell said work could begin in late May or early June.
The streets weren’t randomly selected. Spees said an analysis of the school’s students and input from the community led to the selections.
“We asked, where can we put sidewalks down that are going to provide the greatest impact?” he said.
That impact could be realized by the time school is back in session this fall.
Gunnell said the construction timeline indicates the sidewalks should be finished by then. Spees refrained from making that commitment, but he said it remains the goal.
“Time’s a crunching on that,” he said. “That’s what we’re hoping.”
• Dustin Kass is associate editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5150 or dustin.kass@pharostribune.com.
Local News
Related Photos
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CROSSING GUARD: For three and a half years, Don Rowden has helped Galveston elementary students safely cross U.S. 35. P-T photo | Dustin Kass
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NEW PATHS: Sidewalks will be constructed along Woodland Street near Galveston Elementary School as part of a Safe Routes to School grant. P-T photo | Dustin Kass
Discussion
Safer way to school: Work should begin this summer on new sidewalks in Galveston
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