Milton, Fulton Schools partner for greater school access.

Courtesy City of Milton

Thanks to a fruitful partnership between the City of Milton and Fulton County Schools, students across the city now enjoy easier, faster access to school.

“The coordinated improvements at the [Bethany Bend] intersection and the pedestrian safety improvements at multiple locations are examples of the benefits of the city and the school system maintaining open communication and searching for innovative solutions,” said Joseph Clements, executive director of Facilities Services for Fulton County Schools. “These examples demonstrate that the city and the school system are striving to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ funds.”

COGBURN/BETHANY BEND INTERSECTION

As part of this partnership, in May construction began on the intersection of Cogburn Road and Bethany Bend to accommodate the increased traffic of students attending Cambridge High. Fulton County Schools covered the portion of the improvements occurring on school land, Milton handled the rest. The contracts for roughly $700,000 went to Marietta-based Baldwin Paving Company, Inc.

The project included:

Widening of Cogburn Road and Bethany Bend approaching the intersection
Addition of turn lanes on all four sides of the intersection to decrease congestion
Construction of sidewalks
Inclusion of Milton’s signature four-board equestrian fence
Carter Lucas, Milton’s director of public works, said both agencies were able to use the same contractor and coordinate efforts to the benefit of taxpayers.

“Being a reliable, professional partner with our schools is a priority of this department and the City of Milton,” he said. “It’s our duty to make sure these joint projects are successful.”
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
Additionally, Milton partnered with Fulton County Schools to bring walking and biking opportunities to Summit Hill and Crabapple Crossing elementaries and Northwestern Middle in the form of Safe Routes to School projects.

The projects included:

Filling in sidewalk gaps
Installing new sections of sidewalk/trail to provide connections to schools
School zone signage
Crosswalk improvements
Americans with Disabilities Act improvements
The $500,000 project was state funded as a result of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) selection of Milton’s plan for improvements to the schools’ infrastructure.

The project has been more than four years in the making, said Sara Leaders, Milton’s transportation engineer.

“Throughout this long process, our partners at Fulton County Schools have worked hand in hand to ensure students could benefit from this vital program,” said Leaders. “Moving forward, we’ll continue this partnership for the benefit of students and taxpayers.”For more information on the intersection improvements at Cambridge High or Safe Routes to School, contact Angie Kapijimpanga, public works citizen responder, at 678-242-2562 or angie.kapijimpanga@cityofmiltonga.us.