Council directs temporary sidewalk on 8th Street and orders study of HAWK crossing and widening options

Bowmont’s City Council voted June 2 to move forward with a temporary, interim sidewalk along the south side of 8th Street from Exenia Avenue to Alagany Street to address recurring pedestrian safety concerns near apartment complexes, the police substation and a nearby elementary school.

Public‑works staff presented three options: (1) a temporary sidewalk and curb installation (est. $58,000) as an interim safety measure; (2) installation of a HAWK (pedestrian‑activated) crossing device; and (3) full widening of 8th Street to its ultimate cross‑section (estimated at roughly $3.5 million, including reconstruction). Staff recommended the temporary sidewalk as the most immediate, lower‑cost mitigation while noting ADA and driveway adjustments, outreach to affected residents about driveway transitions, and phasing to minimize construction impacts. Councilors discussed alternative lower‑cost interim measures—including asphalt curb delineators and traffic‑calming, coordination with the school for messaging during construction, and the construction phasing to limit disruption during the school year.

Council approved the temporary sidewalk construction and asked staff to return with a separate analysis and potential CIP entry for a HAWK system and the full widening project, along with cost, funding and fire‑department response‑time input.

Council emphasized that staff should coordinate closely with the school district and phase work to minimize impacts on drop‑off/pick‑up activity. Staff will notify affected residents and schedule work to preserve parking where feasible while meeting ADA requirements.