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Region 9 presenter outlines Safe Routes to School concerns, suggests crossings at Highway 13 and Paquin Street
Summary
Joel Hanif of Region 9 presented Safe Routes to School findings for Waterville and Morristown, flagged unsafe crossings at Highway 13 (near Casey’s) and Paquin Street by the school, and proposed programs and MnDOT/SHIP assistance; he asked the council for feedback before producing a final adoption document.
The Waterville City Council heard a Safe Routes to School presentation from Joel Hanif of Region 9 on March 4, who described observed safety issues on local bicycle and pedestrian routes and proposed programmatic steps to increase student walking and biking.
Hanif identified particular problem locations — the Highway 13 crossing by Casey’s and the Paquin Street crossing by the school — and suggested additional crossings on the bike trail and a Highway 60 crossing toward the baseball field. He proposed promoting active-transportation habits among students through challenges, bicycle-safety classes, and school-based encouragement programs. With assistance from SHIP and MnDOT, Hanif said the region could help administer planning and implementation. He asked council members to share feedback and concerns ahead of producing a final document for adoption.
Why it matters: Improvements to crossings and school-based programs can reduce student exposure to traffic hazards and encourage safer, healthier travel modes.
Next steps: Staff will collect council feedback and work with Region 9 to finalize a plan for the council to consider for adoption.
