Catoosa Getting New Sidewalks

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http://www.ktul.com/story/17105531/catoosa-getting-new-sidewalks

Some of you may know but for those of you who don't.   An occasional poster on here JMO is the subject of this report.   Her daughter was killed walking home from school after she missed her bus two years ago.   This is a significant victory for JMO.

The new sidewalks stretch for about a mile, in front of two schools and the City Manager says that they are here to make the kids safer and to get them more active.
"I think my daughter would be very pleased," says Leona Harper.

Harper is happy to see the sidewalks going up. Her daughter, Kristen Harper, lost her life because she was hit by a truck, where there was not a complete sidewalk. Harper says this is a great thing for the community because she gets mad driving down Cherokee Street because she thinks it's unsafe.

"It gives the children a safer place to walk and it's not just about the children with Hard Rock in this community, there are a lot more pedestrians walking along streets," says Harper.

Harper isn't the only one glad to see the new sidewalks. The Police Chief was the first person on the scene of Kristen's accident and says it always sticks with you when it's a child and these sidewalks will help keep the streets safe.

"I can't say it would have prevented this type of accident based on the nature of what happened but I think it has opened a lot of people's eyes and now that we have this grant to put these sidewalks in they will be utilized a lot more," says Police Chief, Kevin McKim.

The total cost for this project is more than $220,000 and the city is only funding about 20 percent of that and the police chief says since it does cross two schools, people need to watch the areas because the pedestrians have the right of way.

"One school gets out about 15 or 20 minutes before the other school so it will help with the traffic direction of all the parents picking up buses and the kids going back to home," says McKim.

This construction will be finished in April.