Ventura County Public Works Agency hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony pedestrian improvements project

OXNARD, Calif. - April 30, 2015 - PRLog -- Ventura County Public Works Agency’s (VCPWA) Department of Transportation will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of Rose Avenue and Collins Street Pedestrian Improvements Project on Thursday, May 7. Dignitaries to speak at the event will include Ventura County Supervisor John C. Zaragoza,Rio School District Superintendent Dr. John Puglisi, El Rio Municipal Advisory Councilmember Mike Barber, and Rio Del Valle Middle School Principal Joanne M. Davidson.

Last month, VCPWA’s Department of Transportation completed installation of a new traffic signal at Rose Avenue and Collins Street, as well as 500 feet of sidewalk and bicycle lane that will provide a safer walking route for school children and adults who cross Rose Avenue, a busy four-lane arterial road from the densely populated neighborhood of El Rio to the Rio Del Valle Middle School and the El Rio Community Gymnasium Complex.

Prior to this project, children and adults were crossing Rose Avenue at an un-signalized intersection and had to walk approximately 500 feet along a narrow gravel shoulder; the nearest safe crossing was located about 1,200 feet north at Rose Avenue and Walnut Drive. This intersection was signalized and convenient for children and adults living north of Orange Drive; however, it was inconveniently located for those children and adults living southof Orange Drive. The new traffic improvements now make it safe and convenient for pedestrians and bicyclists living on both sides of the street.

Supervisor Zaragoza says, “The health and safety of our children and families is our number one priority. This is another great example of the County of Ventura working in cooperation with the Rio School District and the community to improve safety for our children and families in El Rio.”

The project was made possible through a Safe Routes to School grant that funded the construction, as well as provided non-infrastructure funds for Rio Del Valle School to hire a Ventura County Deputy Sheriff to teach the students safe walking and cycling habits and to encourage walking and bicycling to school.

Additional Information:

Who: Ventura County Public Works Agency

What: Ribbon-cutting ceremony for completion of Rose Avenue and Collins Street Pedestrian Improvements Project

When: Thursday, May 7, at 9 a.m.

Where:  Rio Del Valle Middle School, 3100 Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93036