Logo courtesy of the City of Gridley

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – Plans to improve pedestrian safety near Gridley High School and close a sidewalk gap along Cherry Street are moving forward with $508,000 in federal funding secured for two projects.

The Gridley City Council authorized the city to seek engineering consultants Oct. 19 to develop designs for the improvements, including a possible reconfiguration of the Fairview Drive and East Gridley Road intersection.

City Engineer Dave Harden said the intersection has been a concern for years, particularly because of students crossing East Gridley Road on their way to and from school.

The city received $420,000 to study traffic conditions and develop improvements along Fairview Drive, including the intersections with East Gridley Road and East Hazel Street and pedestrian connections north toward Spruce Street.

Engineers will evaluate ways to reduce vehicle speeds, improve crossings and make the area safer for pedestrians, officials said. Potential changes include new sidewalks, accessible curb ramps and intersection modifications, including a possible small roundabout, depending on the findings of the engineering study.

The remaining $88,000 will fund plans for a sidewalk along the south side of Cherry Street, connecting Haskell Street with Highway 99 and providing access between nearby neighborhoods, businesses and the park.

In a related action, the council approved transferring approximately 242 square feet of Cherry Street right-of-way to Caltrans for improvements at the Highway 99 intersection near the Moose Lodge.

The state project includes a new sidewalk, an ADA-compliant curb ramp and a marked crosswalk that will connect with the city's proposed pedestrian route.

Funding for the two city projects comes through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, with assistance from the Butte County Association of Governments, which redirected transportation funds from other regions to Gridley.

Harden emphasized that the grants cover engineering and planning, not construction. Additional money will be needed before either project can be built.

The Fairview Drive study will include traffic counts and an evaluation of possible intersection configurations. The findings will help establish construction costs and support future applications for transportation funding.

“We want them to do a good job and figure out exactly what it needs to make it much more competitive on future grants,” Harden said.

The city expects to begin selecting engineering consultants before the end of the year, with design work anticipated in early 2027.

Harden said the Cherry Street plans could be completed within three or four months after work begins. The Fairview Drive project is expected to take longer because of the more extensive traffic analysis required.

The $508,000 in federal funding covers eligible design expenses without a local matching contribution.

Once engineering work is completed, Gridley will be positioned to pursue the additional grants necessary to turn the proposed improvements into construction projects, officials said.