With a state grant for $80,000 in hand, Lawrence Township officials are gearing up to make several safety improvements to Craven Lane to make it safer for children to walk to the Lawrenceville Elementary School.
Lawrence Township officials learned of the grant award in a letter to Mayor John Ryan from New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scacetti. The money is coming from the department’s Transportation Trust Fund.
The Craven Lane pedestrian safety improvements project calls for installing a pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacon system at the Johnson Trolley Line intersection with Craven Lane. Children use the Johnson Trolley Line walking trail to walk to Craven Lane on their way to school.
The grant will also pay for the costs of installing new sidewalks on Craven Lane in areas where they are missing, as well as high visibility crosswalks at intersections, township officials said.
Deteriorated sidewalks will be replaced at the George Street/Craven Lane intersection, along with the installation of detectable warning surfaces and proper curb ramps at that intersection, township officials said.
The grant was triggered by the need to make safety improvements for children who walk to the Lawrenceville Elementary School on Craven Lane. Many students live within two miles of the school and do not qualify for bus transportation.
“Both the school district and the township strive to improve walkability and ‘bikeability’ for students and residents as part of wellness campaigns. (The school board) supports active transportation, including walking and bicycling, to and from school,” according to the grant application.
The project will improve pedestrian safety and promote healthy lifestyles, and also provide a “Complete Street” that is accessible to all users, the grant application said. Lawrence Township officials support integrated bicycle and pedestrian policies.