New design for Moscow's D Street

Students walking down D Street won't have to shuffle along a worn, dirt trail on their way to school next year.

An Idaho Safe Routes to School grant for $99,800 will fund the project on D Street between Adams and Monroe streets. Improvements include construction of 825 feet of sidewalk, including pedestrian ramps and the replacement of street curb, private driveways and private sidewalks.

"D Street, especially, is a major arterial that provides access to quite a few schools," said Brooke Lowry, a Safe Routes to School coordinator. "Students from just about every school use some portion of D Street."

The D Street project has been on the city's list of priority projects since 2005, said Alisa Stone, grants manager for the city of Moscow.

There are several areas in the city without sidewalk or curb ramps that are noncompliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stone said this is because the infrastructure in the city was built years ago when there were no such requirements. There is now a bigger effort to make the entire city more ADA and pedestrian accessible, with a priority on school routes.

"Since 2007, we've been applying for funds from the Idaho Transportation Department and the goal is to complete infrastructure that leads to schools providing safe walking and biking routes for children," Stone said.

Helen Brown, a professor in the University of Idaho's movement sciences department, works with the city, community and Moscow's schools to identify where renovations are needed to make school routes safer. She said the D Street project will greatly benefit children walking to school as well as the community.

"There are so many places on D Street that need work," Brown said. "Right now it is completely unpaved, and kids have to walk on a trail in the grass. There are people of all ages over there that would enjoy a sidewalk to connect them to the grocery store."

Safe Routes to School began as a federally funded program, receiving money from the Federal Highway Administration. However, the program was not refunded this year, leaving it up to states to continue the program and making grants increasingly competitive.

"It's difficult to get Safe Routes to School funding for infrastructure," Brown said. "This is a project the city has wanted to do for some time but funding is very competitive."

The city applied to ITD for the grant in March 2010 and waited three years for the funding to become available.

Brown said the city has been very fortunate in receiving grants. Moscow has earned funding for three Safe Routes to School projects since 2007.

Construction on D Street is scheduled to begin June 10, after the Moscow School District ends its school year. The project should be substantially completed within 30 days.

Lowry said she and many parents are grateful the city secured funds for the hazardous route.

"D Street is especially dangerous without sidewalks because it is uphill, and it's a busy road with car traffic, pedestrians and bikers," Lowry said. "It is great that the city and the Safe Routes to School program secured the funds for this project."

Estelle Gwinn can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by email to egwinn@dnews.com.