Desplaines Valley News

Willow Springs to add more sidewalks for children’s safety
By James Pluta

A former public works director in Willow Springs is being credited with helping convince state and federal officials of the need for sidewalk improvement surrounding and leading to and from the many schools where village children attend.

James Chevalier, who was replaced by Mayor Alan Nowaczyk earlier this summer, was one of two people — including administrative assistant Gina Scaletta-Nelson — responsible for the $399,530 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, a federal grant administered by the state.

The Illinois Safe Routes to School grant program, which urges and enables students to walk and bicycle to and from school, will impact families whose children attend Willow Springs Elementary School on Archer Road, Trinity Lutheran School on German Church Road and Pleasant Dale ElementarySchool on Wolf Road.

Students from the Sterling Estates Mobile Home Park on Frontage Road east of La Grange Road near Justice, have to be bused to and from school because highways separate them from their school at Nolton Avenue and Archer.

In addition, students from nearby Indian Head Park attend Pleasantdale.

The grant funds will be directed to the construction of concrete sidewalk salong German Church Road, School Street, Archer Road and Nolton Avenue, as well as flashing beacon lights and more signs in school zones on NoltonAvenue and German Church and Archer roads.

A new reflective striped crosswalk with safety signs is also being installed on German Church Road.

Village officials and those in School Districts 107 and 108 hope the sidewalks will save money by cutting down on the need for so many bus routes and also improve air quality as a result.

The state program awarded $13.1 million in federal funds statewide to encourage walking to school.