MEAD, Wash. — Students at an elementary school in Mead will soon have an easier and safer walk to school.
Spokane County recently received nearly $1 million in federal funding to address safety concerns around Creekside Elementary School.
The grant comes through the Washington Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program and will fund the construction of sidewalks on streets surrounding the school, where none currently exist. The project will also add flashing lights at crosswalks and leading up to them on Farwell and Market streets.
Parents say the improvements are desperately needed in an area where students must navigate busy roads without proper pedestrian infrastructure.
“If I had three or four of my kids with me and needed to run across, it could be pretty dangerous,” said Bethany Edmonds, whose children attend Creekside Elementary School.
Edmonds said the new construction will give the community some much needed peace of mind.
“A lot of [kids] don’t walk with their parents because the school is right there, so it makes me nervous,” Edmonds said.
The lack of safe crossing options also adds significant time to students’ walks to school.
“Walking down to the light where there is a crosswalk adds 5 to 10 minutes of walking. So yeah, I’m really excited to hear about that,” Edmonds said.
The safety improvements will benefit more than just Creekside Elementary students. The sidewalks and crosswalk features will also help anyone walking to Union Stadium or traveling through the neighborhood on foot.
One neighbor who has lived in the area for 20 years said the roads have become significantly busier, creating challenges even for adults.
While county officials have finalized the basic details of the project, they plan to hold community discussions in the coming months to gather input on the specific design and implementation of the safety improvements.
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