Students walking to Joseph Widmer Elementary are about to get a safer route to school. 

On Monday, the Lathrop City Council approved a resolution that authorized the creation of a new capital improvement project that will complete an existing sidewalk gap on Warren Avenue so that students walking from the surrounding neighborhood to the school site can do so safely. 

With a 10 percent public funding match required in order for the city to obtain the already approved Measure K funding for the project, the resolution authorized $100,000 – $49,900 of public matching funds, and $50,100 for cash flow – that help make the $549,100 project possible. 

The construction will fill a roughly 1,000-foot sidewalk gap on Warren Avenue between Reverent Maurice Cotton Drive and Jasper Way, and provide students and parents a direct route through the residential community over to Stonebridge Lane, which is directly adjacent to the elementary school. 

Because of the current sidewalk configuration, pedestrians living south of Warren Avenue currently have to use Harlan Road to get to the elementary school, which sees much more vehicular traffic and poses a safety risk for parents and students while walking to the site. By extending the sidewalk, the need for using Harlan Road for a large number of residents is greatly depleted. 

The construction will also provide general pedestrian access, and will support the use of a nearby transit stop for residents who want to use public transportation. 

The council’s approval will allow the city to seek reimbursement of the nearly $450,000 in Measure K funding to allow for the preliminary engineering work to be completed and the construction to begin.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.