City Engineer Rick Gaul told members of the Board of Public Works and Safety that he was notified by phone from INDOT that the city has been awarded a Safe Routes to School Grant.
The grant is in the amount of $329,962 which is 80% of the project and the city’s share will be 20%.
This project will make a safe route to schools on the north side of Baker Street from Columbus Drive to and including the intersection with Randolph.
Monday night the Board of Public Works and Safety opened Request for Proposals (RFP) from firms qualified and interested in performing engineering work on the federal aid project.
Seven companies submitted letters of interest including: Jacobi, Toombs and Lanz Inc. from Indianapolis; Lawson-Fisher Associates from South Bend; Triad Associates Inc. from Indianapolis; VS Engineering from Indianapolis; Weaver Boos Consultants from South Bend; Primera Engineering from Munster and The Troyer Group from Mishawaka.
A committee of three, Mayor Mark Senter, Councilman Duane Culp and Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt will review and rate each company providing a letter of intent. Their reviews will be compiled and sent to INDOT for review prior to selecting and negotiating with a company for the engineering work.
The Indiana Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is based on the federal program designed to make walking and bicycling to school safe and routine. Walking and bicycling are viable transportation alternatives for travel to and from school with significant potential benefits, among them reductions in motor vehicle traffic, associated fuel consumption for school trips and improved air quality.
