City says Safe Routes to School project will add sidewalk on Martinsburg Road; construction slated for FY2026

City staff told the Mount Vernon City Council on Sept. 22 that the Safe Routes to School project that will add sidewalks on Martinsburg Road is funded and in design, with construction planned for fiscal year 2026. A staff member identified as Quentin said the city was awarded “over $300,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation for this project.” Quentin said the design is in its third submission stage to ODOT and that the project is under design: “We're on stage 3. We're we're getting pretty close to having the design wrapped up, and the construction is next year. So it's a fiscal year 2026 project, so we can't actually start construction until 07/01/2026.” Council members and the mayor discussed pedestrian safety near schools and recent incidents of a student struck near Martinsburg Road to underscore the project's importance. A council member noted that the sidewalk on Division Street and other segments were part of the Safe Routes project. Discussion vs. decision: the council received a briefing on the awarded ODOT grant and project timeline; no formal vote was required or taken on Sept. 22. The staff presentation clarified the grant amount, design stage and construction schedule. Clarifying details: award amount stated as over $300,000; design is in stage 3 with the third submittal to ODOT; construction is scheduled as a fiscal year 2026 project with work not to begin before 07/01/2026; the project includes sidewalks from Martinsburg Road to Yellowjacket Drive and east-side sidewalk additions on Martinsburg Road. What’s next: the city will continue design work with ODOT approvals and move to construction in FY2026 once design is complete and approvals are secured.