LAKE STEVENS — Students who walk to a Lake Stevens school now have some safer ways to get there.
The city recently finished the bulk of work on a sidewalk on the east side of 123rd Avenue NE and another to fill in gaps in walkways on the north side of 22nd Street NE. North Lake Middle School sits at the intersection of the two streets.
Many who live in the city have told officials in recent years they’d like to see more sidewalks, and the new walkways represent the beginning of the city’s response to that concern.
“We’ve had a lot of close calls on that street,” Lake Stevens School District spokeswoman Arlene Hulten said of 22nd Street NE.
In 1997, Richie Wheaton, then 12, was critically injured when he collided with a bus while inline skating home from North Lake Middle School. He endured multiple surgeries but recovered.
“It’s a huge relief to have a sidewalk in there,” Hulten said.
The sidewalk sections on 22nd Street NE between 117th and 123rd avenues NE, cost $209,375. The sidewalk on 123rd Avenue NE from 20th Street NE to 26th Street NE cost $141,100.
The funds came from a pot of money contributed by developers. The city has about $50,000 to $60,000 left in that fund, city administrator Jan Berg said. The money would have to be used in the downtown area because it was contributed by developers who built in that area, she said.
Lake Stevens has $600,000 in another citywide sidewalk fund, but the city recently identified 27 stretches of road that need a new walkway of some kind, with a total price tag of more than $5 million.
This was before Lake Stevens annexed 9 square miles and more than 10,000 people southwest of Frontier Village at the end of last year.
The city plans to apply for grants and is now working with the Lake Stevens School District and Fire District 8 to weigh the possibilities of where walkways could be built next, Berg said.
These include Lakeview Drive up the hill from the roundabout at Lundeen Parkway and Callow Road. Building sidewalks on the steep, winding, narrow thoroughfare could require some improvements to the road as well, which would add to the cost, Berg said.
In the newly annexed area, 91st Avenue NE, home to Skyline Elementary School; and Lake Stevens Middle School, is a possibility, Berg and Hulten said. Other areas of concern for the school district include 83rd Avenue NE near Cavelero Mid High School and 117th Avenue NE near Lake Stevens High School, Hulten said.
“We’re taking a comprehensive look at everything,” Berg said.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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