Smoothing out the walk to school

Kids walking to school along Schoenbeck Road in Prospect Heights might get a sidewalk to make that journey a little easier.

Prospect Heights officials plan on talking to Prospect Heights Elementary District 23 about obtaining a state grant for sidewalks along one side of that route between Palatine and Camp McDonald roads, city officials said.

The grant, through the Illinois Department of Transportation, would benefit kids who walk to Eisenhower and Betsy Ross elementary schools.

It would cover 100 percent of the cost, so there'd be no expenses for the district or city, city Administrator Pam Arrigoni said.

After discussing it with the district, the city likely will submit a grant proposal, Arrigoni said.

Over the past years, residents have asked about putting in a sidewalk, city engineer Adam Boeche said.

However, there probably will be some opposition from other residents who live along Schoenbeck, Alderman Bree Higgins said.

"There are some people who want to keep it a rural-looking area and they don't want sidewalks, which is understandable," she said. "But I'm hoping when it comes to the safety of kids, they will see past this and let this go on."

Called the Safe Routes to School Program, the grant is designed to create safe walking environments for kids.

According to IDOT, the number of kids walking to school has dropped from almost half to about 15 percent. As a result, traffic congestion and delays have increased, leading the agency to promoting walking to school, officials said.