Commenting Period Ending For Euclid Avenue Sidewalk Grant

Today is the last official day for Manassas Park residents to submit their opinions to city officials about a federal grant that would pay for a sidewalk along Euclid Avenue for the city's students.

Manassas Park city and school officials are working to get the grant through Safe Routes to Schools, a program administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The purpose of the grant is to provide a safe and easily accessible way for children to walk and bike to schools, in this case, Manassas Park Middle and High Schools.

 One of the first steps in the grant process is to solicit opinions from residents for a travel plan, Manassas Park Inspector and project manager said Calvin O’Dell, who is working on the project.

 “As a prerequisite for the funding opportunity, the city must produce a Safe Routes to School Travel Plan that encourages bicycling and walking to school for Kindergarten through eighth grade students,”  O’Dell said earlier this month during a council meeting.

 O’Dell said he needs comments from residents as soon as possible as they only have until April 29 to put together a good travel plan.

 The commenting period began April 5 and will end today, but O’Dell said he won’t turn down any comments received after today.

The planning committee would like to have 10 or so days to review the travel plan and make any changes, he said.

 “ (The travel plan) represents  our willingness  and commitment to encourage kids to walk and bicycle to school,” O’Dell said. “A big part of that is the Euclid sidewalk (but) we also have to explore other pedestrian amenities.”

 The area was mentioned in the Capital Improvement Plan as a medium priority project for year 2014, but the Manassas Park Planning Commission voted April 4 to make it a high priority 2012 project.

 This sends the right message to VDOT and improves the chances of getting funding, O’Dell said.

 The city began actively pursuing the grant after Manassas Park City Councilman Brian Leeper said he found out about Safe Routes to Schools and provided information about the program to other city officials. 

 Manassas Park City Council is expected to review a resolution about the project on tonight.

 Manassas Park residents are encouraged to come to the meeting and express their opinions about the Safe Routes to Schools program during the meeting’s  public commenting period, O’Dell said.

 If you have an ideas or comments about Safe Routes to Schools, contact O’Dell at  (703) 335-0019 or  c.odell@manassasparkva.gov.