HIGHLAND STREET SIDEWALK
To: Jay Jacob Wind, President, Arlington Heights Civic Association
Thank you for your letter of June 15th regarding the need for a sidewalk on South Highland Street.
The Safe Routes to Schools Program includes measures for pedestrian safety education, law enforcement and improvements to the physical environment. Both County and Schools staff have developed a list of sidewalk, intersection and school-zone signal projects that would improve pedestrian safety and mobility in the vicinity of schools. Although the program has not involved requests for proposals, the projects were identified by County staff, school administrators, Parent Teacher Associations and concerned parents. I am pleased that one project on the list is the construction of a new sidewalk on South Highland Street between 2nd and 6th Streets South.
As part of our approval of the FY 2001-2006 CIP, the Board included $865,000 in the Fiscal Year 2001 Transportation bond for funding Safe Routes to Schools projects. County staff is working with the citizen Pedestrian Advisory Committee to develop criteria for evaluating and prioritizing all the projects on the Safe Routes to Schools list. The list of projects to be funded by the FY 2001 bond will be developed shortly. The County Board will continue to evaluate the need for further pedestrian-system improvements during the budget process each year. Also, top priority projects in Arlington Heights can be considered in the Neighborhood Conservation Program.
Thank you for expressing your concern about this matter. County staff will notify you regarding the projects to be included in the upcoming bond.
/s/
Barbara A. Favola
Chairman