Kenney Street Pedestrian Improvements
Location
Kenney Street in El Rio, Ventura County
City or County Responsible for Project
County of Ventura
Category
Safety or Intelligent Transportation System Projects
Author
Jeewoong Kim
County of Ventura public Works Agency Transportation Department
800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura. CA 93009-1620
805-654-2065
Project Description
The Kenny Street Pedestrian Improvement Project has improved safety and encourages students to walk and bicycle to Rio Real Elementary School by constructing sidewalks and widening the road near the school. After many years of traffic headaches and congestion on Kenney Street, children can now safely walk or bicycle to school, and parents can easily drop off their children. The work included construction of 1,250 lineal feet of new sidewalk, curb, and gutter along the northerly side of Kenney Street, and paving 13 feet of earthen shoulder for that entire length. Crosswalks and accessible ramps were added at two intersections to promote pedestrian safety. Gravel parkways along the sidewalk were built to filter drainage runoff. The project cost a total of $643,000: $151,000 for design, $62,000 for a Non-Infrastructure public outreach, and $430,000 for construction. Project design was federally funded by CMAQ funds. The construction phase was funded by state Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds. The purpose of the Non-Infrastructure public outreach effort was to educate and encourage families and children to walk and bicycle to school. The County of Ventura Healthcare Agency (HCA) conducted 5 tasks to promote alternative modes of travel. We assessed the present willingness of the public to walk and bicycle, and the supporting resources in the area, conducted audits, photovoice, and observational studies of the surrounding area, created a coalition of community partners such as parents, schools, clinics, churches, businesses, and community members, provided training to build capacity and engage and empower the community, and also provided ongoing bicycling and pedestrian education to the El Rio community. The project significantly improves pedestrian safety for Rio Real Elementary School. Children can safely walk to school using the newly constructed sidewalks and crosswalks. Vehicles are no longer backed up causing delays, due to the widened road. As a result, the quality of life, public health, safety, and accessibility have all improved. The County worked closely with the local community to develop the scope of the improvements. The partnership continued through the design and construction as the County kept the community abreast of the project’s progress. The public outreach and education drew the County staff and community closer together. With the help of ATP funding, the County promotes alternative means of travel by providing families with public facilities that allow walking and cycling with their children to school. As a result, there will be healthier children and less congestion on Kenney Street!
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