As school approaches, the path that many of Chelsea’s school kids travel has just received major improvements. The State’s “Safe Routes to School” Program has directed $750,000 to Chelsea for those improvements.
“”We’re committed to make sure that kids, especially in urban areas like Chelsea, have a safe walk to school. In our particular case, we’ve been able to secure State funding to widen sidewalks, narrow the distances kids have to cross and improve street surface conditions. That’s all good stuff that will help to make the trip to and from school safe ones,” exclaimed State Representative Eugene O’Flaherty.
O’Flaherty partnered with City Manager Jay Ash and other City officials to secure the funding for the pedestrian improvements.
“It seems like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but there is a good reason for it. I’m grateful to all that Rep. O’Flaherty has been getting to us for pedestrian safety, roadway improvements, park grants and economic development supports,” confided Ash. “We’re fortunate to have a champion like him advocating at the State House for Chelsea’s needs.”
O’Flaherty and City Council President Leo Robinson were recently out to inspect the new sidewalks poured on at the train station on Arlington Street and adjacent to the Williams School on Fifth Street.
“You can tell the new sidewalks make a difference. In our community, anything we can do to increase pedestrian safety, especially as it relates to our kids, the better,” commented Robinson.
This past week, the intersections of Arlington and Sixth Streets and Fifth and Walnut Streets were also repaved. That work should also help relieve the pooling of water that has made it inconvenient for commuter rail users to pass.
“It looks great, and it’s great to know that we have enhanced our pedestrian routes. It’s even better to know that we’ll never know if we avoided a major accident because of this work,” concluded O’Flaherty.