Snohomish Receives Grants to Improve Pedestrian Safety For Three Local Elementary Schools.

City of Snohomish grant applications have been funded for three schools to install posted flashing beacon light systems in school zones. Central Primary School, Emerson Elementary School, and Cascade View Elementary School will have these safety upgrades installed at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.

The beacon light system will be installed on the posted speed limit signs which mark the school zones. The beacon lights are designed and timed to flash while children are commuting to and from school. Research has shown these systems decrease the average speed of vehicles traveling through the school zones while children are present and increase the safety of pedestrians. Each beacon light system will cost approximately $4,200.00 and will operate on solar power.

In all, ten of the lights will be installed at the four schools, all funded by the grant except for a $4,000 contribution from the Snohomish School District.  The Citys Public Works Department will provide labor for all of the installations.

The grant was offered by Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC). The WTSC had 1.5 million dollars in grant money which was available for competition from all of the elementary schools within Washington State.

WTSC grant director Brian Jones made the following comment regarding the applications he received for this grant, the response to this RFP was overwhelming, as we received proposals from over 150 schools. A partnership was created between the Snohomish School District, City of Snohomish Public Works Department, and the Snohomish Police Department to develop a competitive grant application.

Each agency has given or committed resources which have led to the success of the grant application. The application asked for funding for these systems in each of the three elementary school zones and the application was fully approved. The future safety of elementary school children in school zones has been substantially increased because of these efforts.