The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has completed a project to install sidewalks and pedestrian crosswalks at five elementary schools in Washoe County. About 2,800 feet of new sidewalk, upgraded pedestrian crosswalk ramps, and signage have been installed at streetside entrances in front of Nancy Gomes, Lemmon Valley, Virginia Palmer, Elizabeth Lenz, and Brown Elementary Schools.
Two solar pedestrian-activated flashing warning signs were also installed at Lemmon Valley Elementary, along with radar-detected vehicle speed signs and a pedestrian path connecting school grounds to Lemmon Valley Drive. Many of the roadways did not previously have sidewalks near school entrances.
The improvements were funded through Federal Highway Administration Safe Routes to School funds. The federal program made funding available for a wide variety of programs and projects, from building safer elementary school street crossings to establishing programs that encourage children and parents to walk and bicycle safely to school.
“We’re dedicated to the safety and mobility of Nevada’s transportation system,” NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon explained. “This has been a great opportunity to partner with the Washoe County School District to enhance safety for local students, families, and drivers. These are important safety enhancements, but we also want to remind everyone on the road to slow down, watch for each other, and be safe in all school zones.”
“Student safety and security is so important to all of us at the Washoe County School District,” said WCSD Police Sgt. Connie Harper. “The partnership between WCSD School Police, the District’s Safe Routes to School program, and the Nevada Department of Transportation is a crucial part of our commitment to student safety. We appreciate NDOT’s work in helping to protect our students, and join with NDOT in reminding motorists to use great care, slow down, and follow all traffic laws when driving near our students and schools.”
