28 | FEBRUARY 27 • 2020
Jews in the D
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and Oak Park
to improve pedestrian safety.
Y
eshiva Beth Yehudah
Schools and the City
of Oak Park have
received a grant to construct
safer pedestrian routes to
help students cross busy
intersections at 10 Mile Road
and Lincoln Road.
The $464,321 grant to the
Jewish educational institu-
tion from the Safe Routes to
School (SRTS) program was
announced at the Oak Park
City Council Meeting on Feb.
17. SRTS is facilitated by state
agencies through the Federal
Highway Administration to
enhance pedestrian walkways
and traffic signals for com-
munities nationwide.
“
A great deal of the stu-
dents live south of 10 Mile
Road, and there were only
one or two major crossing
points points at Greenfield
and Church Street,” Oak
Park Director of Technical
and Planning Robert Barrett
told the Jewish News. “We
felt there was an opportunity
and need to improve the kids’
routes to schools and to help
make it safer.”
Barrett explained that
city and school officials
determine areas of concern
through surveying parents
and students and imple-
menting “a walking audit” to
observe how kids travel to
and from school.
Adjustments at the follow-
ing locations are outlined in
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah’
s grant
award:
• Enhancements to the traf-
fic signal at Church Street
and 10 Mile Road.
• A High-intensity Activated
Crosswalk (HAWK) signal
and pedestrian island at Rue
Versailles Drive and 10 Mile
Road.
• A rapid flashing beacon
located at Marlow Place and
Lincoln Street.
“The improvements to the
pedestrian infrastructure on
10 Mile are long overdue,”
Oak Park City Manager Erik
Tungate said in statement.
“With these grant dollars, we
are going to create a safer,
more walkable district for all
of our residents and especial-
ly our school-aged children.”
Construction is expect-
ed to be under way by July
2020 and be completed by
early fall.
A Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
representative could not be
reached for comment for this
story.
ALLISON JACOBS DIGITAL EDITOR
CITY OF OAK PARK FACEBOOK
Safety First
PHOTO CREDIT JERRY ZOLYNSKY
To shine the public spotlight on young people in our
community, the JN, Jfamily and the Youth Professionals
Network created Rising Stars: Teens Making a Difference, a
showcase that will highlight 18 remarkable Jewish teens in
the Metro Detroit area. Those selected will be featured in
the April 30 issue of the JN and will also be recognized on
the JN, JCC and Jfamily social media pages.
Nominees must live in Michigan, identify as Jewish and be
students in grades 9-12; they can be self-nominated or may
be nominated by others today through March 8.
Nominees should be recognized for impact, contribution
and/ or achievement in areas including (but not limited) to:
SEEKING
TERRIFIC TEENS!
To nominate yourself or a teen you know, go to
thejewishnews.com and click on the Rising Stars button or to
https://jfamily.jccdet.org/rising-stars. The deadline is March 8.