Batesville School District’s Central Magnet Elementary is now a safer place for pedestrians. The City of Batesville’s Street Department completed necessary repairs to several feet of sidewalk surrounding the school and added crosswalks to 6 th and Vine Streets to maximize pedestrian safety while crossing the street to and from Central Magnet.
The repairs were completed with funding from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department’s Safe Routes to School grant program. The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) collaborated with the city to secure the funding. “The sidewalks surrounding Central Magnet Elementary were in such a state a disrepair that the safety of pedestrians along Vine and 6 th Streets was compromised. They were also a blight to the school and surrounding homes. Coupled with the inadequate sidewalks was the lack of crosswalks. Teachers and children use the sidewalks and cross the streets surrounding the school daily. We clearly needed to address the situation so that our community could be a safer and more appealing place. We are fortunate that the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department recognized our need and helped us make the repairs. With this phase complete, we hope to secure more funding to expand the repairs,” said Danell Hetrick, Director of Grant Writing and Communications at BACC.
For more information on Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department funding opportunities, visit www.arkansashighways.com.
