photo by: City of Lawrence

Proposed projects to fill in sidewalk gaps, in red, and proposed additions to the Safe Routes to School network, in green, are shown on this City of Lawrence map. More detailed maps for areas around individual schools are also available.

The City of Lawrence is seeking feedback from parents on the construction of new sidewalks and the designation of school routes related to the closures of Pinckney and Broken Arrow elementary schools.

A plan for the Safe Routes to School program was approved in 2020, but now needs to be updated due to the upcoming closures of the two schools ahead of next school year. As the Journal-World reported, Pinckney and Broken Arrow students will be redistributed to six schools and other boundary changes were also approved to accommodate those incoming students. The boundary changes created the need for new school routes, and a working group with Safe Routes to School has now proposed draft amendments to the 2020 plan.

The amendments include proposed changes regarding plans for additional sidewalks, other pedestrian and bicycle route improvements, and adult crossing guard locations, according to a city news release. Maps of proposed routes and additions around specific schools are available on the city’s website, and the city has opened a survey to collect feedback on the draft.

In addition, staff will host an open house to share the proposal, answer questions and collect feedback on Tuesday, May 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. Activities for kids will be provided while parents participate in the open house. Public comments can also be provided from May 10 through May 23 on the online survey on the city’s website, Lawrenceks.org.

All input will be provided to the Multimodal Transportation Commission at its June 5 meeting and inform the transportation commission’s final recommendation on amendments to the Safe Routes to School plan and recommended placement of adult crossing guards. The recommendation will then go to the City Commission for ultimate consideration.

The federal Safe Routes to School program was created in 2005 and aims to enable and encourage children to walk or bike to school and facilitate projects that will improve safety, reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. The Lawrence SRTS initiative began in 2014 as a collaborative effort between Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, the Lawrence school district, the City of Lawrence and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization, according to the city’s website. The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy board approved a citywide plan for Safe Routes to School in November 2020.

Click here to see the city’s news release and maps of the routes.