4H group seeks pedestrian improvements | Yadkin Ripple

Yadkin County 4H members presented the findings of a walkability study to Yadkin County Commissioners on Monday morning, hoping the commissioners would help advocate on their behalf to town officials and those responsible for state roadways. The 4H tweens and teens conducted the study in Yadkinville at the end of July.

“Walk audits are designed to bring people together to assess their town and brainstorm ways to make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to safely walk around their community,” stated the report the 4Hers presented to commissioners.

While walking from Yadkinville Community Park to the elementary school, the 4Hers noted that there is no crosswalk marked at the intersection of Tennessee Street and State Street. Their report detailed several other pedestrian pathways that also lacked crosswalks at major intersections.

The 4Hers noted they see teachers walking groups of students from the elementary school to the city park along the route.

“Can you imagine taking 20 second-graders all the way to the park?” 4H Agent Madaline Jones asked the 4Hers as they carefully checked the traffic prior to crossing.

As the group took shelter from the scorching sun at a shaded picnic table outside Yadkinville Elementary, they counted cars zooming along State Street, observing that most were likely going faster than the posted 35 mile-per-hour speed limit. In a five minute period, the group counted 41 vehicles, of which 37 were passenger vehicles and 4 were larger ones such as tractor trailers or dump trucks. The county extension agents said that during a prior scouting session to prepare for the study, they themselves counted 141 vehicles on the same stretch of State Street in front of the elementary school within a 15-minute span.

“It’s hard to believe that we can make a change for the good just by going out and walking around,” said 15-year-old Bryson Helton of East Bend, who was optimistic that their work would grab the attention of civic leaders.

During their presentation to commissioners, they explained that the three major areas they studied ranged in walkability scores of 11.25 to 13.5 out of a total possible score of 25.

“This score means, ‘Okay, but it needs work,’” the 4Hers explained to commissioners for each of the three sections they examined, which were Yadkin County Park, the walk from Yadkinville Community Park to the elementary school, and the walk from Yadkinville Elementary School to the Yadkin County Public Library.

Among their recommendations were:

Yadkin County Park

-Add signage with directions for cars and pedestrians

-Add seating such as benches, including options that are inclusive of people with handicaps

-Update walkways, ramps and bridges, including leveling and widening paths

Yadkinville Community Park to Yadkinville Elementary

-Add crosswalk markings and make the farmers market signage bigger

-Add more handicap accessibility features at the park

-Address the issue of speeding cars near the school by adding speed bumps

-Cut back tree limbs to make sidewalks along State Street passable

-Add signage to mark pedestrian crossings

Yadkinville Elementary to Yadkin County Public Library

-Add crosswalks along route

-Add detectable warning pavers to crosswalks for visually impaired individuals

-Install pedestrian push button signals and pedestrian crossing signage

-Add trash cans and water fountains along the route

The 4Hers stated they hoped their recommended changes may be implemented by spring of 2022, and offered to assist in helping design, make and install any changes.