Moscow seeks grant for Mountain View Road projects
New features would make street safer for pedestrians
Moscow city staff members want to apply for grants to fund a project they believe will make one of the city’s busiest streets more accessible and safer for pedestrians.
Next week, the Moscow City Council will vote on two grants that will add sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes and other features to Mountain View Road. Attendees at the Moscow Public Works and Finance Committee meeting discussed these grants Monday.
Schools, playfields, recreational areas and neighborhoods are all in the vicinity of Mountain View Road. However, there are currently gaps in pedestrian paths for those wanting to walk and bike on the roadway.
The purpose of these grants from Idaho’s Transportation Alternative Program is to close those gaps and add other features meant to make the roadway safer.
One grant request for $500,000 will fund installation of 1,600 feet of curb, gutter and sidewalk on the west side of Mountain View Road from F Street to Slonaker Drive to create an additional north-south pathway for pedestrians. There will also be additional LED lighting at each of the intersections in that area. The total project cost is expected to be no more than $865,500.
Nate Suhr, an engineer in the city’s Community Development Department, said this pathway is going to open pedestrian access to the Hamilton Lowe Aquatic Center, Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center and nearby schools.
The second $500,000 grant request would install bike lanes and 900 feet of curb, gutter and sidewalk on both sides of Mountain View Road between Joseph Street and Heron’s Hideout.
The city would also install a pedestrian warning beacon where Paradise Path meets Mountain View Road and 900 feet of sidewalk along the Latah Fairgrounds access road.
This corridor will eventually close a gap in the pedestrian infrastructure from F Street to White Avenue.
“It would be a fantastic 1.2-mile corridor,” Suhr said. “Very excited about these.”
The cost of this project would total $845,000. Suhr said construction for these projects would take place in 2023 or 2024 if the city receives both grants.
According to the meeting packet, the area near the fairgrounds and the Joseph Street playfields experiences high volumes of pedestrian traffic, especially during sporting and fairground events.
Next week, the city council will also vote on a $63,000 grant application to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to improve Virgil Phillips Farm Park. The improvements include adding six more parking spaces, installing a safety ramp and dock at the trailhead pond, weed treatment and additional signage.
Moscow would contribute $5,000 in matching funds.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
