Kettleman City Safe Routes to School and Roadway Reconstruction Project (Finalist)
Location
Unincorporated Community of Kettleman City, Kings County CA
City or County Responsible for Project
Kings County
Category
Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects.
Author
Dominic Tyburski, P.E.
County of Kings – Public Works
1400 W. Lacey Boulevard, Hanford, CA 93230
559-852-2698
Project Description
The Kettleman City Community Plan was developed as part of the Kings County 2035 General Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2010. Extensive public outreach during the plan’s development revealed residents’ primary concerns which included excessive speeds along SR41 and providing a safe route to school for their children. In 2009 a Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant was awarded to the County in the form of an Environmental Justice Grant. Recommendations from the Kettleman City Safety and Community studies, and workshops, were used as the basis for the Federal Safe Routes to School project. The program was approved in March 2012 and the funding for the project was approved in September 2012. In March 2012, a State Safe Routes to School project application with its accompanying evaluation score was provided to the Kings County Board of Supervisors for a determination. The city applied for Caltrans Environmental Justice Grant to provide a safe walking and bicycling route to increase transportation safety within the community. The program was approved in July 2012 and the funding for the project was approved in December 2012. All streets for both projects had surface irregularities consistent with the age of the pavement. When it rained in Kettleman City, muddy areas would form as a result of the rushing water and puddles in low spots along the routes where students and parents were expected to walk to and from school. The project area, including the park, suffered from limited access for students and community residents with disabilities. During inclement weather persons with disabilities were unable to walk/bike or use assistive devices. In order to capitalize on economy of scale, the three funding sources (Federal, State, and Local) were combined to construct new streets, sidewalks, and curb & gutter within the project footprint. New pedestrian pathways provide a clearly delineated area for children to walk to and from school beyond the vehicle travel lanes. The sidewalk is now free of weather induced impediments which resulted in students choosing to walk in the street. ADA compliant ramps at all corners and crosswalk locations including a lighted in-ground crosswalk provide easier, safer access. Widened roadways were reconstructed utilizing the Full Depth Reclamation with Cement treatment (FDR-C) method, reducing cost for materials and construction and reducing the projects overall carbon footprint, provide a shared area for bikes and on-street parking. The Federally funded project constructed sidewalks, curb & gutter, curb ramps, crosswalks, and cross gutters on both sides of General Petroleum Avenue between SR 41 and 5th Street. The State funded project constructed sidewalks, curb & gutter on 7th, 8th, 9th, and Standard Oil Streets, and a lighted in-ground crosswalk on General Petroleum Avenue. The roadway reconstruction of General Petroleum Avenue, 7th, 8th, 9th, and Standard Oil Streets was funded by the County Road Fund.
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