Lammers Road Pedestrian Pathway

Location

Lammers Road between Redbridge Road and Kimball High School

City or County Responsible for Project

San Joaquin County

Category

Safety or Intelligent Transportation System Projects

Author

Kris Balaji

Organization

San Joaquin County Department of Public Works

Address

1810 E. Hazelton Avenue

Phone

(209) 468-3000

Project Description

When faced with the challenge of providing a 0.6 mile pathway for area school students with only a little over two months before school was scheduled to begin, San Joaquin County engineers had to think fast. In order to provide the pathway along Lammers Road between an isolated residential area, Redbridge, and the newer Kimball High School in the City of Tracy, San Joaquin County, in collaboration with the City, took a unique approach and constructed a base rock path to allow students to walk or bike to and from the high school. This met the immediate need before school started, and allows time to seek grant funding for a more permanent surfacing, without any throwaway. Due to the distance between the Redbridge community and the school, and the higher speeds on Lammers Road, most students were driven by their parents for obvious reasons. This contributed to traffic congestion before and after school, and reduced air quality in the area. By constructing the new sealed base rock pathway, students, parents, and other pedestrians and bicyclists are expressing their praise, and City and County officials are equally excited (see attached press release). The project, has produced the following positive outcomes: improved safety for students and others walking or riding bikes as it is set back from the roadway; better air quality by encouraging more students and others to use the path instead of vehicles; and in addition to improved connection to the school, it has expanded overall community connectivity by making other important services such as transit, shopping, and the Tracy sports complex more accessible to those who live in the area. The next step involves the City and County partnering to jointly seek grant funding opportunities to provide for the permanent surfacing of the pathway.