“I have been concerned for a while now,” said Coursey, who says there are children who walk to school everyday but aren't necessarily doing it in the safest manor. She uses crosswalks for an example. She says there are some places in the city where repairing crosswalks is needed.
The idea of the grant, said Coursey came from Superintendent Roger Cook. Coursey said she thought it was a great idea.
According to Coursey's statistics, the Russellville Independent School District serves approximately 1,300 students. Out of those, 175 students are transported at least once by bus daily to Stevenson Elementary School and 109 to Russellville's Middle School. Many other students are transported twice a day by parents. Both schools have many students who live within a two-mile radius around the campuses.
“As we are the ‘city schools' in the county seat of Logan County, there are some students already walking or riding bikes to school, at least to the middle school,” said Coursey.
“For the most part, parents are apprehensive about letting their child walk to school, unless accompanied by an adult. It is because of this apprehension only students in the upper grades of the middle school are seen in the early morning hours, walking to school, or dragging their backpacks behind them in the afternoons.”
“With an assurance that their child will be safe to and from school, more students could benefit from the daily exercise,” said Coursey, who added that Stevenson Elementary provides another golden opportunity for walkers and bike riders, but will require more comprehensive planning.
Coursey continues, “Within walking or riding distance of the school are two subdivisions and a medium-sized apartment complex.
“The problem is that there are no sidewalks from any of these areas along the busy street of North Main, which turns into Hwy. 431 and a state right-of-way. In the future, this area would be a prime target for such programs as ‘walking buses' or bicycle trains.'”
Coursey says the plan of the Russellville Independent Schools is to initially develop a way to better track the students who are riding or walking to school.
Those who walk or ride buses to school on a regular basis will register as a walker or rider, complete an online educational course on pedestrian and bicycle safety, and upon completion, obtain an ID tag. This tag, said Coursey, will be in a way a “Walkers” or “Bikers License.”
“We will also increase the number of bike racks, along with supplying students with their own bike helmet and lock and key for their bike,” said Coursey.
“In the way of construction, the main thoroughfares of students are relatively well-kept by the city of Russellville,” said Coursey, adding that the city council and mayor have shown their full support of any improvements to the health and safety of their smallest citizens. The Russellville City Council recently passed a resolution of support for the grant.
“The dangerous part of walking or riding to school is depending on the citizens to stop at our poorly marked crosswalks,” said Coursey. “The main crosswalk traveled, which is actually on Main Street, needs to be repainted after the repaving of the road and a ‘pedestrian crossing light' needs to be placed there. This would not interrupt traffic unless a walker or bike rider pushes a button to trigger the light.
“If not a light, then the road needs to be built up to slow traffic down upon entering the Square, which circles in a one-way loop, where many fail to yield or slow down for pedestrians.”
Coursey believes that en extensive study on the reduction of traffic around Stevenson Elementary School must be implemented. She said currently, there is a day care center across the street from the school, but students and parents dare not try to cross the street. A police officer is put in place in the mornings and afternoons to allow the buses to get out of the campus safely, but Coursey believes a long-term solution needs to be made. She said a traffic light might be the solution, but that it might also impede the flow of traffic even more.
“Part of the proposal involves studying this area so that by this time next year, we may begin educating parents and students on our walking bus plan and gathering volunteers and planning for the construction of sidewalks in the area,” said Coursey.
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