EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Last year, the City of Evansville received an almost $200,000 grant to improve the sidewalks around Tekoppel School.
That construction was supposed to start this summer, but the city engineer tells 14 News there's been a delay.
School officials at Tekoppel Elementary used to encourage students to walk to school because it's in a residential area.
That was until a study was done last year that revealed just how fast motorists pass by the school.
"It's just a constant circle of traffic and at the same time you have people going to work," said Tammie Tuley, who lives near Tekoppel.
The Safe Routes to School project is supposed to make the commute safer by fixing the sidewalks and streets, but that project, originally set to begin this summer, has not started.
"I actually would even walk my kids to school. We would cut through the neighbors yard with permission and I walked them back to school because of the track to go to school," Tuley said.
Tuley has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years and says she hates to see another school year begin without improvements to the sidewalks.
"They've just deteriorated over time with weather and different things. We're just a block from Tekoppel School and the buses from Reitz and Helfrich pick up down here at the corner, so we have kids going up and down all the time," Tuley said.
The City of Evansville tells 14 News they're still in talks with INDOT about the terms of agreement surrounding the grant.
School and city officials believe parents, teachers and students will all see the benefits to this project and they hope to launch the design phase sometime this year.
INDOT tells 14 News they are currently working with the City of Evansville's legal council to get the documents signed for the federal grant.
We'll keep you updated on the project.
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School officials at Tekoppel Elementary used to encourage students to walk to school because it's in a residential area.
