Press Release | Office of the Mayor | City of Westland Receives $208,000 Grant for Elementary School Sidewalk Project

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

City of Westland Receives $208,000 Grant for Elementary School Sidewalk Project

Westland, MI (July 29, 2019) - The City of Westland has been awarded a $208,000 Transportation Alternative Grant (TAP) through MDOT to fund a safe pedestrian route to link key parts of the community to Hamilton Elementary School and local parks. The proposed 1,615 ft. long, 5 ft. wide sidewalk project will fill gaps that run along the west side of Schuman Rd. between Glen and Palmer Rd.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $250,000, with $42,000 being paid for through the general fund.

"Once this sidewalk project is complete, it will provide a continuous pedestrian facility with road crossings along Schuman St. connecting the local subdivisions to the local Elementary School and city parks," commented Mayor Wild. Construction is slated to begin at the end of the 2020 school year.

This is the third Safe Route to School grant Westland has been awarded in the past 3 years. The City of Westland received a grant for the Newburgh sidewalk gap between the Clyde Smith subdivision and Joy Rd. which was completed last fall as well as the Marquette sidewalk gap between Newburgh and Wayne Rd., which is currently under construction.

For more information contact the Mayors office at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds if shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.