Drivers prepare to share – transportation officials pedal towards safer roads
Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) look to reduce pedestrian casualties - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Bicyclists and pedestrians in the Imperial Valley will notice more care in the coming months. The Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) have a plan to make roads more safe and convenient.
From 2015 to 2019, the Valley saw about 118 pedestrian related crashes and about a hundred bicycle related collisions. That's why now they're building more side walks, bike lanes, and even paved roads.
ICTC is working with CalTrans on a plan to add more side walks, bike lanes, and even pave roads. Program manager Virginia Mendoza also says that kids who wish to ride their bikes to school will now be able to do just that, but with safety in mind.
Virginia Mendoza with the transportation commission says grants are necessary to make this plan come to fruition.
“Come February of next year we are hoping to have a couple of grant applications that we can submit and seek out for funding at the state and regional level so we can make some of these projects come to fruition,” she said.
The plan is funded by the Southern California Association of Governments for approximately $250,000. With this project becoming a reality, kids who wish to ride their bikes to school will be able to do that now safely.
The commission hopes that this project will help reduce the number of bicyclist and pedestrian accidents in the valley. ICTC will be hosting awareness events in the coming weeks.
