Parent safety concerns lead to intersection upgrades near Brookville school

“This is a project that we have been working on for some time,” said Sonja Keaton, acting city manager and finance director. “We are very pleased that our project was awarded grant funds.”

In a survey, 60 percent of parents in the school district cited the intersections and lack of sidewalks and pathways resulting in no safe way to ride a bike or walk to school.

The school district has 1,518 students, and 859 of those students live within a mile radius of the elementary, middle or high school.

The school district does not supply buses to students within a mile radius.

The intersections include Westbrook Road and Western Avenue; Johnsville-Brookville Road and Westbrook Road; Johnsville-Brookville Road at Westbrook Road to Blue Pride Drive; Johnsville-Brookville Road and Blue Pride Drive; and Western Avenue and Blue Pride Drive.

The upgrades, which are tentatively planned for 2022, will include:

— Intersection of Westbrook and Western will be relocated to cross the road perpendicular and upgrade the standard markings to hi-visibility markings;

— Johnsville-Brookville at Westbrook will get a new crosswalk with high-visibility markings, curb extensions and a rapid flashing beacon installed at the crosswalk;

— Johnsville-Brookville from Westbrook to Blue Pride Drive will get installation of 580 feet of new sidewalk on the east side of Johnsville-Brookville Road;

— Intersection of Johnsville-Brookville and Blue Pride will see an upgrade to the standard crosswalk markings to high-visibility markings, and

— Intersection of Western and Blue Pride will get an upgrade from the standard crosswalk markings to high-visibility markings and installation of school crossing signs.

The city has projected the total cost of the project to be just under $323,000, and the city will cover anything over the grant amount. The difference, at this point, is just under $10,000.

“Once completed, these safety upgrades to the intersections leading to the Brookville Local Schools complex will provide solace to parents whose children walk or bike to school,” Keaton said.

Visit the city's website, school's website or contact Keaton at 937-833-2135 for more information.