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LEFT: Children deserve safe places to walk — starting
with the trip to school. Walking is one of the easiest
ways for kids to get the recommended allotment of
physical exercise and contributes to both physical well
being and increases cognitive learning. By starting
with children and their trip to school, communities
become safe places for everyone to walk.
Infrastructure
LEAD Team
The Infrastructure Team continues
in partnership with the Polk
Transportation Planning Organization
(TPO) to evaluate the need for
sidewalks within a one mile radius of
public schools (the area where most
PRIORITY SIDEWALK
PROJECTS SIDEWALK COVERAGE
ANALYSIS
Candidate projects are being referred 140 Public Schools
to State, County and local jurisdictions
for funding. The Infrastructure Team
639 centerline miles of arterial and
collector roads within one mile of
walkers converge on a school). together with staff from the TPO are The Infrastructure Team and TPO are projects, based on factors such as now concentrating on those schools connectivity, likely available right-of- with the worst sidewalk coverage. way, and potential to serve greatest Using a range of established criteria as number of students. The future of (Geographic Information System – GIS
“high need,” they have evaluated and priority projects is subject to funding – analysis of major road network within
identified priority sidewalk projects. availability and engineering-level one mile of schools)
identifying highest priority, or top
feasibility analysis (review of right-of-
way, drainage and potential utility
relocation issues).
15 Priority Sidewalk Projects (from
Phase I list) with an estimated cost
of $3.1 Million have been referred
to the Polk County Sidewalk
Advisory Committee for review and
consideration for funding.
Public Schools
179 miles (28%) do not have a
sidewalk on either side of the road