Manteca Creates Safe Routes To School
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“The goal is to remove traffic safety concerns that may cause a hazard to children on their way to school and to provide Police presence to protect and deter traffic violators, or worse,” said Kevin Jorgensen II, Director of Engineering for the City of Manteca.
MANTECA, CALIF. Manteca’s Safe Routes to School is a bicycle and pedestrian network intended to increase safety for students when commuting (walking, bicycling, or driving) to school and back home. The Safe Routes to School plan is a partnership among the City of Manteca, the San Joaquin Council of Governments, and the Manteca Unified School District.
“The goal is to minimize traffic safety concerns that may cause a hazard to children on their way to and back home from school and to provide Police presence to protect and deter traffic violators or worse,” said Kevin Jorgensen II, Director of Engineering for the City of Manteca.
Some of the traffic improvements include: (i) high visibility crosswalks; (ii) adding or replacing curb ramps at certain intersections; (iii) replacing existing crosswalks with high visibility crosswalks; (iv) replacing missing segments of sidewalks; (v) adding sidewalks on certain streets in Manteca; and (VI) adding the appropriate traffic warning and regulatory signage.
An aging and growing community like Manteca creates both issues and opportunities when it comes to safe access to schools. Issues like single-lane roadways, country schools with no sidewalks, Highway 120, and Interstates 5 and 99 all pose unique challenges and demand our local governmental agencies to collaborate effectively to mitigate as much as possible for the issues as well as plan for the opportunities ahead.
“In our Safe Routes to School Committee, the fusion of expertise from Manteca Unified and the City comes together to minimize traffic concerns for safe walking, bicycling, or driving routes to and from schools as well as develop plans for future safe routes in line with school modernizations,” said Dennis Foster, Manteca Unified School District’s Coordinator of Emergency Preparedness and Safety.
“As educators, we understand that our involvement helps to provide clear communications with the City regarding areas of concern for paths of travel and begin to create an environment where every child can feel safe and learn,” added Foster.
The City worked with the San Joaquin Council of Governments for Smart Growth Incentives, which made funds available for infrastructure enhancements, such as street calming, walkable community projects, transit amenities, and alternative modes of transportation that will assist local agencies in better-integrating transportation and land use.
The County’s Measure K (Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School) funded a Smart Growth Incentive Program and the Yosemite Avenue Pavement Improvement Project (bike lanes), totaling $144,000; the Union Interchange -Multi-use Path, totaling $1,440,000; Main Street Pavement Improvement Project – Bike Lanes, totaling $210,000; and a Non-motorized Transportation Plan, totaling $240,000.
The funding received, to date, from the San Joaquin Council of Governments for Manteca’s Safe Routes to School is $2,034,000.
For more information call the City Manager’s office at (209) 456-8000, email Feedback@manteca.gov, or go to https://www.manteca.gov.
Manteca is a full-service City with police, fire, public works, water, trash and sewer services.
Incorporated in 1918, Manteca has a diverse population of 86,928. Manteca continues to grow at 4.1 percent a year. The City has 25,670 households with a median home price of $432,100. The median annual household income is $82,538.