Issues. People. Events.

   The City of Waterbury will be holding a community meeting at Gilmartin School on Wednesday, April 18th to talk with residents about the upcoming Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project. The community meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.  On hand for the meeting will be Mayor Neil O’Leary, Principal Don Burzler, Director of Public Works Lou Spina and City Engineer Mark Pronovost.

   SRTS is a national program that promotes opportunities for children to make walking and bicycling to school safer and more accessible for children, including those with disabilities, and to increase the number of children who choose to walk and bicycle to school. The program is supported by federal funding and the Federal Highway Administration administers the funds and provides guidance. SRTS grants can be used either for infrastructure projects or non-infrastructure activities.

   The City completed a Safe Routes to School Plan for Gilmartin School in 2011 and submitted an application for funding in July, 2011.  The City of Waterbury has recently received notification that the State Department of Transportation has shortlisted the City’s SRTS application and will award the project funding providing that the City hold a public informational meeting and that the governing body of the City endorse the project. The City’s Gilmartin School project includes new sidewalks in the Gilmartin School neighborhood; new crosswalks and signage; shoulder striping on roadways; and, the purchasing and installing of bicycle racks at the school. The value of the grant project is $500,000.

   “The Safe Routes to School program is a wonderful complement to our neighborhood schools initiative and offers our City the ability to improve walking and bicycling conditions for our children near our schools.  I am very proud that the Gilmartin School project has been selected for this award and I look forward to more successful Safe Routes to Schools plans and projects throughout our City,” said Mayor Neil M. O’Leary.

   Residents wishing to learn details of the project should attend the information meeting on April 18th.  For more information about the meeting, please call Louise Brown at 203-346-3506.