2 North Hollywood Schools Benefiting From $500,000 Grant From Caltrans For Safety Improvements

and Bellingham Primary Center near in North Hollywood will benefit from a $500,000 project to install sidewalks, speed humps and extra signage along Archwood Street, between Laurel Canyon and Lankershim boulevards in North Hollywood, Caltrans announced today.

The funds are part of $48.5 million that will be awarded by the Safe Routes to School Program to 139 projects around the state dedicated to making travel safer for children who walk and bicycle to school.

“Safety is Caltrans’ number one priority,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty in a press release. “We are committed to providing the highest safety possible for our children as they travel to and from school in California.”

The Archwood/Laurel Canyon intersection was the scene of a fatal accident on Nov. 2, 2010 when two sisters, 12-year-old Emely Aleman and 10-year-old Angela Rodriguez, were hit by a Jeep Wrangler as they crossed the street within a designated crosswalk at the intersection around 7:30 p.m. Aleman later died at a local hospital. The accident prompted Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian to expedite the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection.

From the Caltrans press release:

Among the state-funded projects are new sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and other safety improvements. Caltrans chose each project based upon need, effectiveness, and how quickly it could be delivered. By improving safety, more kids are encouraged to walk and bicycle to school, resulting in healthier children while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle congestion.

More than $7 million of the funds were awarded to critical safety projects in rural counties. In addition, 82 projects totaling $28 million will create jobs and benefit at least one low-income school within each project.