City bolsters commitment of building safer routes to schools

Published on November 27, 2019

Media Contact:
Kellie Stickney
Communications Program Manager
kstickney@kirklandwa.gov
(425) 979-6562

Safer walkways will serve schools in Finn Hill and the Highlands

KIRKLAND, Wash. – The City of Kirkland is making good on its commitment to create safer routes to schools with the ongoing and upcoming construction of two walkways, one in the Finn Hill area and another in the Highlands.

Set to begin construction in December, the Finn Hill project will create 950 feet of new sidewalk along Northeast 132nd Street, between 84th and 87th avenues northeast.

When complete in the spring, this project will improve access to Finn Hill Middle School and Thoreau and Sandburg elementary schools, as well as Big Finn Hill Park.

Meanwhile in the Highlands neighborhood, Kirkland’s contractor continues making progress on a 900-foot walkway along the west side of 111th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 100th Place and the 103rd block of 111th Avenue Northeast.

Completion of this three-block-long asphalt pathway by the end of this year will increase safety and improve access between the neighborhood and Peter Kirk Elementary School.

Both projects are part of the City’s ongoing efforts to bolster pedestrian safety and increase the number of children and adults walking and biking to school.

The benefits of riding a bus, a bicycle or walking to school are multifaceted. These methods improve children’s physical and social health, improve traffic flow near schools during drop-off and pick-up times.

“School enrollments are up substantially throughout the Lake Washington School District,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “Anything we can do to ease the burden of localized traffic congestion around schools while improving the health and wellness of our students is a worthy investment.”