Safe Routes To Schools Grant Fuels Second Avenue Work

A 2007 federal grant is at work on Second Avenue and Cumberland Street intersections improving walking routes to neighborhood schools.

Public Works Superintendent Mike Debroisse said the grant, from the federal Safe Routes to Schools program, was for about $350,000.

Safe Routes to Schools examines conditions around schools and works to improve safety and accessibility, and reduce traffic and air pollution in the vicinity of schools, according to the program's website.

The Woonsocket work is happening at two intersections, one at Second Avenue and Olo Street, near Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where the corners are being re-done to make them safer for kids while they're waiting to cross through. Bollards, or metal pipes filled with concrete, are being installed at the corners to protect pedestrians. Stamped concrete crosswalks are also being installed. The improvements there will aid the commute of students at Coleman and Fifth Avenue Schools, Debroisse said.

The second spot is at the intersection of Kendrick Avenue and Cumberland Street, where pedestrian signals and signs and concrete stamped crosswalks are being installed. Those improvements will aid the commute for students of the city's two middle schools, Debroisse said.

Debroisse said the work began in 2011, and has required the coordination of federal, state and city officials, often a complicated process. "Things don't progress as quickly as you would hope," he said. Even so, Debroisse said the work ought to be done by September.