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Clinton aldermen approve moving forward with DOTD crosswalk and lighting application for downtown
Summary
The Town of Clinton voted June 10 to pursue state DOTD funding for a downtown pedestrian crosswalk and lighting, with a town-led pedestrian plan and community input required; the program can cover about 95% of eligible costs for projects under $500,000.
The Town of Clinton Mayor and Board of Aldermen voted June 10 to pursue a state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) funding opportunity to install a downtown pedestrian crosswalk and pedestrian-scale lighting.
Jessica Stroope, community and economic development specialist with the LSU AgCenter Southeast Region, presented the opportunity and said DOTD will typically cover engineering and the majority of construction costs for projects under $500,000. Stroope told the board the town must take the lead on a simple pedestrian plan, organize community input (examples named were the Council on Aging, the Clinton Community Market and local school groups), and designate a town contact to handle paperwork and trainings. She said the program usually involves a five-year timeline and that the state and federal match can cover roughly 95% of eligible costs while the locality provides about a 5% match.
Stroope recommended considering a crossing between Liberty Highway and Plank Road and noted the District Engineer suggested a spot just south of Church Street because an ADA ramp is already in place there. She said DOTD will accept a hand-drawn map and community input rather than a professional map and explained that factors such as crash history and pedestrian counts affect approval.
After the presentation Alderman Young moved, and Alderman Morris seconded, to move forward with applying for the pedestrian crosswalk and lighting; the motion passed. The board did not set a final project map at the meeting; Stroope said the town would need to collect pedestrian counts (for example, Saturday headcounts) and gather local feedback to support the application.
Next steps: staff or a designated town contact must prepare the pedestrian plan, collect the requested community input and provide a project map for DOTD review before the application proceeds. The board approved the motion to apply but did not vote on any specific design or funding commitment beyond pursuing the grant opportunity.
