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Planning staff: W&L engineering club to explore pool‑area sidewalk; city to apply for TAP funding
Summary
Planning staff said Washington & Lee Engineering Club students will survey a grassy corridor from Wallace Street to the municipal pool as a possible five‑foot sidewalk connection; staff also plans to apply this summer for TAP funding for the broader Wallace‑to‑Houston segment.
Planning staff told the commission that Washington & Lee Engineering Club students have agreed to survey a short corridor linking Wallace Street to the municipal pool and evaluate whether a five‑foot sidewalk could be built through an existing grassy walk alongside the pool access.
"What we had asked them to do...is for the students to shoot some grades and figure out to get from the corner of Wallace Street...up the grassy hill, if they can put a 5 foot wide sidewalk walkway in there to get to the entrance to Municipal Pool," planning staff member Arnie said. Staff said the students are working as a club project and may deliver a design or feasibility product by the end of their short semester.
Staff also said the city will apply in the upcoming Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding cycle for the segment running from Wallace Street toward Houston Street; the first TAP segment (in front of Moyer River Middle School) was previously awarded and administered by VDOT. The application for the next segment will be submitted this summer.
Why it matters: the work would continue a multi‑segment pedestrian connection along Waddell Street toward commercial destinations and could leverage student work for a feasibility assessment before design funding is pursued with TAP.
Next steps: staff will follow up with the commission if the students produce materials suitable for presentation and will submit the TAP application for the next Wallace‑to‑Houston segment in the current funding cycle.
