More sidewalks coming for Manatee Elementary, but not until 2023

The good news is that the Florida Department of Transportation will fund $734,000 as part of its Safe Route to Schools program for Manatee Elementary School, 1609 Sixth Ave. E. The bad news is that the project isn’t slated until 2023.

Public Works Director Jim McLellan said it’s a great program but, “that’s just how the program works as far as being notified of the funding and the 2023 construction date. There are projects throughout the state, so if one or more of those projects were to fall through, the money is reshuffled and we could get it sooner.”

The program encourages students to walk and bike to school by adding or repairing sidewalks into the neighborhoods surrounding areas of the school.

“A successful program integrates safety, traffic relief, health, environmental awareness and physical activity and fitness under one program,” the FDOT website states. “Communities and community-based organizations are devoting increased attention to pedestrian and bicycle safety issues in an effort to improve conditions for walking or biking to school.”

Manatee Elementary School has had its fair share of concerns being located directly off of SR 64. During the 2016 school year, parents raised those concerns, which led the city to install four “driver feedback” signs, digital signage that signals to drivers how fast they are going.

The city also did a lot of sidewalk work on the north side of Manatee Elementary and some to the south. That project was part of an $877,209 Safe Routes to School project the city received in 2015, but had applied for in 2012. The scope of work included sidewalk work at Ballard Park Elementary and Rogers Garden.

McLellan said that work was completed earlier this year, but is an example of how long it can take from the point of applying, to qualifying for funding, to construction. A Manatee County School District representative could not be reached for comment.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 2:22 PM with the headline "More sidewalks coming for Manatee Elementary, but not until 2023."