Brainerd To Make It Safer For Students To Get To Garfield Elementary

Streets around Garfield Elementary in Brainerd will soon be reconstructed to give students a safer route to get to school.

Besides the few sidewalks that are directly next to Garfield Elementary, there are no sidewalks in northeast Brainerd for students to use. The city was granted money through the state’s Safe Routes to School Program to build sidewalks throughout northeast Brainerd. The city is hopeful construction will begin in June.

“We’re hoping this makes it more pleasant for a student to use a sidewalk, and even just the general public,” Paul Sandy, Brainerd’s City Engineer, said. “We’re hoping it makes that connection from Washington Street to Memorial Park, it gives people more access to walk in the summer time or the winter time, and get them out and active.”

Along with this project the city will also reconstruct portions of H and 10^th Street in Northeast Brainerd as they are due for repairs.