Project Safe Crossings

As the usage of the Trace increases, and traffic on intersecting roads also increases (in many cases due to new developments initiated or spurred on by their proximity to the Trace), concern has risen about the safety of several high volume / high speed intersections. The Friends of the Trace organization has recommended to the Board of Directors that pro-active safety devices be installed at these crossings:

The cost to install safety systems at each crossing is estimated to be in the $15-20,000 range ($100-125,000 total). (See Cross Alert's system as a typical example of a pro-active system). Many funding and approval hurdles will have to be dealt with before this could become reality. In order to expedite the process, the Friends are looking for sponsor / donor (s) who would be willing to finance this project while the funding requests would otherwise be wending their way through the process. This could be a life-saving project. The Saint Tammany Parish Council recently reached the same conclusion about safety on the Tammany Trace in Mandeville, LA  and is in the process of installing Cross Alert systems on their trail (see link).

A very generous  anonymous donor has recently offered to fund the urgently needed painting of the bridge over I-59, a huge project that will cost $50-100,000. The Friends are hoping that other similar sponsors will step up  to help with this safety project.