Jessamine County school safety projects receive $410,000

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – Pedestrian safety projects near two Jessamine County high schools received a big boost as they received $410,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

“As a teacher and a parent, I want to make sure school is one of the very safest places our kids and teens can be,” Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said. “These investments mean educators, parents and students will all be more protected as they walk to class, walk to a practice or rehearsal, travel between nearby schools or walk home at the end of the day.”

The projects around East Jessamine and West Jessamine High Schools have been a priority for the City of Nicholasville, the Lexington-area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the KYTC District 7 staff for a while.

The projects will include a crossing and connection from Miles Road to East Jessamine High School and a multi-use trail along Wilmore Road to connect West Jessamine High School with two other, nearby campuses – West Jessamine Middle School and Rosenwald-Dunbar Elementary School.

“Our community has been working on these projects for a number of years and we are excited about the benefits of these pedestrian walkways for our students and our entire community,” said Jessamine County Schools Superintendent Matt Moore. “This funding will help enable us to provide safer pedestrian access to our facilities, also supporting our goal of encouraging a healthy lifestyle by providing opportunities for students and our citizens to be more physically active.”

KYTC engineers will evaluate the current pedestrian facilities at both high schools and look for ways to improve them for the safety of students, staff and visitors.