Ribbon Cut For Orchard Hill Safe Routes To School

Fifty years ago, James Redeker used to ride his bike to school every day.

When he was older, Redeker would walk 3 miles a day to his high school.

That trend of walking or biking to school has been in rapid decline for years, said Redeker, the Connecticut Department of Transportation commissioner, on Wednesday.

Which made the ribbon cutting for the Safe Routes to School at Orchard Hill Elementary School that much more important.

"This is a great success story," Redeker said.

Indeed, the new traffic humps, raised cross walks, sidewalks, sidewalk ramps and pathway behind Timothy Edwards Middle School were all designed to reverse the trend of children taking the bus to school.

There will also be radar signs informing drivers of when they are traveling too fast that will be installed later, according to Town Engineer Jeff Doolittle.

The $280,000 project was funded by a federal grant that was administered by the state.

"I hope we can do more in town," said Town Planner Michele Lipe.

Mayor Tom Delnicki said that the new traffic safety measures wouldn't just benefit kids. Adults in the neighborhood will also be able to take advantage of the safer routes and access to the schools in the area.

Delnicki credited the combine cooperation of federal, state and local officials as the reason for the project's success.

All of the Orchard Hill students, as well as local dignitaries such as Town Councilors Cary Prague and Cindy Beaulieu, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kate Carter and Town Manager Matthew Galligan, looked on as the ribbon was cut.

Doolittle said that the town is working on a similar project at Eli Terry Elementary School, with construction ideally to start in the summer of 2014.