Borough of Point Pleasant – In recent years, Mayor Sabosik and the Borough have not only promised, but delivered regarding putting in sidewalks throughout the Borough to increase pedestrian safety. Recently, projects included sidewalks surrounding Nellie Bennet Elementary School and streets feeding into that facility, sidewalks up and down Bridge Avenue and Beaver Dam Road where they were physically possibly to be put and now a long-awaited project on School Street increasing safety around Point Pleasant Middle and High Schools will be coming to fruition.
According to Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci Jr., “For the last few years, Mayor Sabosik and the Council have taken a number of steps to make projects like this possible. They created the first ever Pedestrian Safety Fund in the Borough’s history and have steadily increased the capital budget for projects like this, all because a promise they made to improve safety in our community for pedestrians. I’m proud of the work our governing body is doing. Collectively over these last few years, they have put in more sidewalks than a number of previous administrations combined. The Borough at our founding was not designed for the population is has today, our founding fathers never imagined 100 years ago that we would have a community of 20,000 residents today. Our streets are extremely narrow and sidewalks in the past were an afterthought. That’s why Mayor Sabosik and the Council today have been putting such a strong emphasis on placing sidewalks where possible, starting around our schools and major thoroughfares.”
Mayor Robert A. Sabosik stated that “The Council and I have been eyeing this area for a while now. It’s taken a little bit of work, from planning to funding, but we finally approved the project at our February Council Meeting. This project will put in sidewalks on the East Side of School Street from Moore Avenue to Whittier Drive. For too long students, parents and residents alike have had to walk on a makeshift dirt path or in the middle of the street traversing this heavily trafficked road. This unsafe condition is compounded on days and nights when there are school functions or athletic events on the football field and accompanying baseball and softball fields. Our professionals have met several times with school officials to make this a possibility and thanks to all parties working together, we can add this to our list of accomplished projects.”
Council President Antoinette “Toni” DePaola added that “I would also like to thank the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools for their cooperation as well. Even though the sidewalks will be in the Borough owned right of way, they still had to make some adjustments to their facilities to make this project happen. This project is a win-win for not only the Borough municipal government, but the school district as well.”
Councilman Joseph Furmato, Chair of the Council’s Public Works Committee, added that “The total cost of the project will be $127,00.00 funded through a combination of Capital money and Pedestrian Safety Fund money. The design itself, basically the entire length of School Street abutting the school facilities, will include truncated domes at each end of the project and a “bump out” that will go around the existing press box structure at the football field. Due to the location of the project being adjacent to the Middle and High Schools, the project should be started sometime in Mid-July of this Summer and completed at latest early August.”
