As Lincoln students head back to school Wednesday and Thursday, city officials are highlighting new efforts designed to make walking, biking and driving near schools safer. The City of Lincoln says its Safe Routes to School Initiative, launched in 2020, has now resulted in school-zone safety improvements at 33 schools.
“Through Safe Routes to School, we’re improving infrastructure, signage, and crosswalks to make it safer for students to walk and bike to school across Lincoln,” says LTU Director Liz Elliott. During a Tuesday morning news conference at Brownell Elementary, just north of 60th and Holdrege, crews have installed a new curb extension on Aylesworth Avenue.
The project improves visibility and shortens the distance students have to cross the street. New reduced-speed signs and refreshed crosswalk markings were also installed. Elliott says similar projects are underway or planned at schools across Lincoln, including Pyrtle Elementary and Eastridge Elementary…