Mississippi Cities Look to Improve Pedestrian Safety

South Mississippi cities are working to improve pedestrian safety.

The Sun Herald reports Pascagoula and Gautier recently applied for $250,000 grants for the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School Program, which would fund new signs, school-zone flashers, crosswalk re-striping and sidewalk construction.

Eric Meyer, director of the Gautier Economic Development and Planning department, says one of these projects would be to build new sidewalks near College Park Elementary School in Gautier where a survey revealed about 100 children walk to school every day.

In Pascagoula, Community and Economic Development director Jen Dearman says the city is applying for the grant to help improve the infrastructure and safety of the children.

Dearman said the safe routes program also would teach students how to be safe on roads.