Warden hoping to build sidewalk, bike paths

WARDEN - Warden officials want a sidewalk and bike lanes along First Street to improve the safety for people walking to the food processors.

The city council approved an application for a $812,991 grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation's pedestrian and bicycle program.

The estimated $855,780 project will widen First Street from Main Avenue to the railroad track crossing near Jackson Avenue, allowing for bike lanes on both sides of the street. A sidewalk would be added along one side of the street.

The city has a plan on file detailing a bike path from a previous administration, Mayor Tony Massa said. The section of street the city wants to work on is included in the planned path.

"One of the things that I was concerned about coming in as mayor is we have a lot of people walking out to the factories and bicycling out to the factories that aren't safe," he said. "It's hard to clean streets without curbs and gutters."

The engineers felt the project was as large as it could be and still fit within the grant, Massa said.

City Clerk and Treasurer Kris Shuler said Gray and Osborne engineers had Washington State Department of Transportation officials agree the project was viable.

"It is a phased project with the first phase being that feasibility study (for the bike path.) They were really glad that we had that," he said. "If you read through it, it also notes that we're putting in a sidewalk there on Main (Avenue) and First (Street) ... It makes it look like we're continually trying to improve, which should give you more points."

Shuler added when an engineer came into the city, he echoed Massa's concerns about safety.

"We went down and parked just east of Washington Potato. With traffic and trucks coming in and out of there and the people who were there at the bus station, he said, 'This is dangerous,'" she said. "Especially since there are no defined curbs. You don't want to make a big curb for them. You have to obviously allow that you have trucks coming in and out of here, but if you have some definition (it would improve safety.)"

Councilmember Mike Leavitt said it seemed the only safety feature in the area seems to be how rough the train tracks are.

Shuler said the engineer was impressed at the construction of the train track crossing, saying it won't complicate building the sidewalk.

Leavitt questioned a section of the application calling for the construction of storm water facilities.

Massa explained the facilities would be dry wells. Since curbs and gutters are part of the project, the dry wells are required to catch storm water.

"I wanted curbs and gutters because ... we already have a run off problem there. We may just as well get curbs and gutters and dry wells that will help us deal with that problem," he said.