Meeting set for Henry St. project

City staff and engineering consultant GPI will share information about design alternatives for the Henry Street Safe Routes to School project during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

The meeting will begin at noon. To join online, visit https://bit.ly/2JH8VXW and use the passcode Jxcfiy6G. Attendees can also join by phone by calling (646) 5588656 and using the Webinar ID of 844 6307 0460. The phone passcode is 34046316.

During the meeting, participants will be able to ask questions via the chat feature online, which will be moderated by Kristen Wilson, the city’s director of grants management. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be offered during the meeting as well. Recordings of the meeting in English and Spanish will be made available on the city’s YouTube channel following the event.

The public can also comment on the project online at www.engagekingston. com until Jan. 11, 2021.

The Henry Street Safe Routes to School project aims to provide safe accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists along Henry Street, according to a press release from the city. The preliminary plan for the project proposed a multi-use pathway on one side of the street however, due to constraints on the street discovered as the engineers advanced the plan, a new plan with 6-foot sidewalks will be presented, the release said.

The new design plan recommends 11-foot travel lanes, 7-foot parking lanes, 6-foot sidewalks, and grass strips with street trees between the sidewalk and curb, the release said. The 6-foot sidewalks will provide accommodations for pedestrians and younger bicyclists while more experienced bicyclists will use the vehicle travel lanes, according to the release. The project will also include accessible ramps at intersections, crosswalk markings, signs, and striping, the release said. The release said a bicycle shelter will be installed at the George Washington Elementary School for public use.

It is expected the design will be completed in the spring and the project will be bid next year, the release said. The release said construction could potentially begin in the fall of 2021.

The project is to be paid for by the state Department of Transportation Transportation Alternatives Program and local funds.