SRTS , from Page 1 a lot skinnier then than I am now , so it had to be good for you . If we can make it safe and healthy for kids to pick that up again , it ’ s a good purpose ,” Vettese said .
Foster said that grants are administered through the New Jersey Department of Transportation ( NJDOT ).
“ The town applied for a grant back in 2018 and were successful in getting this . It ’ s very competitive , so they were very fortunate to get $ 502,000 . They ’ ve engaged us through the DOT design assistance program ,” Foster said .
Charles Calimer , the project engineer , said that the project is looking to upgrade sidewalk throughout the limits of Third Street , Fourth Street , North Street , Walnut Street and Old Forks Road , working from Warren E . Sooy Jr . Elementary School outward .
“ It ’ s creating and allowing for a flashing beacon and crossing where the crossing guard typically is . If you ’ ve ever been in that area of Fourth Street , it ’ s pretty hectic . We ’ re actually reducing that area . That has a 50-foot road . We ’ re bumping the curbline out to create a shorter crossing , and also putting in dedicated bike lanes through that small section ,” Calimer said .
That reduction , Calimer said , will take place between the first driveway to the elementary school and The Road to Excellence .
“ The width will stay 50 feet as you ’ re coming from Fairview , and as you approach the Road to Excellence it will start to truncate down , and it ’ ll create bump-outs that will slow down traffic and reducing the crossing for the pedestrians ,” Calimer said .
Work will continue down North Street where it intersects with Third Street , Calimer said .
“ We are going to put in a beacon on Third Street . The county is doing a project , and they ’ re reconstructing this road , and we are going to come through and add the beacons on both sides , as well as continue the sidewalk and connect there ,” Calimer said .
Curb and sidewalk will also be added up Fourth Street to Walnut Street , including a pedestrian crossing at that intersection .
“ We ’ ll be connecting all of the
Wednesday , July 27 , 2022 • The Hammonton Gazette • Page 3
Presentation held on July 21 for school sidewalk project
disconnected sections of sidewalk . We also checked all the sidewalk out there , and if it ’ s deficient — if the slope is off or if it ’ s cracked or crumbling — we ’ re replacing all those sections ,” Calimer said .
The sidewalk will then continue on the school side of Walnut Street , heading out to Old Forks Road .
“ At that point , we turn down Old Forks Road and continue to the high school . We ’ re also adding and connecting a piece west of that area to the left . There ’ s a small stretch that is missing between Walnut and Blueberry Ridge , and we ’ re going to place sidewalk to connect that neighborhood into this entire system ,” Calimer said .
Foster said that the proposed Safe Routes to Schools in Hammonton is “ a great project .”
“ Right now , the sidewalk system here is not coordinated ; it ’ s not connected . What we ’ re hoping to do is provide a connected , coordinated sidewalk that will serve the children and the adults of the community ,” Foster said .
Vettese said that , although the application was submitted in 2018 , the entire project was pushed back due to COVID-19 .
“ We ’ re probably talking about construction in 2024 . They go through preliminary design , get all their comments , and then final design would be next year . At the time , we were offered $ 502,000 in funding . Now , costs have gone up , so we ’ re going to see if we can try to get some additional funding ,” Vettese said . Foster concurred . “ Unfortunately , COVID has really jacked the prices up on construction . In one year ’ s time , we saw construction costs go up 20 percent . In 2018 , the price was a good estimate put together by the town ; however , because it ’ s federally funded , we have to cross all the T ’ s and dot all the I ’ s , so there ’ s a lot more involved than just a municipal aid project . There ’ s a lot more paperwork we have to do ,” Foster said .
One of the unforeseen obstacles , Foster said , is that some of the existing sidewalk is not Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) compliant .
“ There ’ s only a certain percentage slope that they could have , so we ’ re going to be chasing grades going up driveways to correct that . The regulations and standards have evolved over time , and , with this federal grant , we have to make sure that we conform to all the standards ,” Foster said .
Vettese said that compliant sidewalks already in existence may help reduce some of the costs .
“ Since we applied , a number of homes have been built along Wal-
See VETTESE , Page 18
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