City Councilmember Jim Duran, Mayor Joe Schroeder, City Manager Bill Ayub, VUSD Superintendent Dr. Castro, Montalvo Community Council, Montalvo Elementary School, City staff, and community members cutting the ribbon. Photo by Michael Gordon
The City of Ventura is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project. To commemorate this achievement, the City hosted a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday, November 7, at the corner of Bristol Road and Grand Avenue.
The event featured key stakeholders and dignitaries, including the Ventura Unified School District, Montalvo Community Council, Montalvo Elementary School, City Council, staff, and community members.
The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project was a collaborative effort representing a substantial investment in our community’s infrastructure. It was specifically designed not only to enhance the safety and convenience of travel to and from Montalvo Elementary School for students and their families but also to provide a more accessible neighborhood for the Montalvo community. The new sidewalks and bike lanes not only facilitate travel to school but also allow the residents of Montalvo to interact more freely with their neighbors, promoting a healthy lifestyle and fostering community connections.
“This remarkable project is a shining example of what can be achieved when a community comes together. It has been a labor of love, driven by partnerships and dedicated community members,” said Mayor Joe Schroeder. “These collaborative efforts have resulted in crucial improvements to the Montalvo neighborhood, benefiting our students, families, and the entire community, fostering a stronger sense of community identity. The project was about more than just the school; it also improves safety since people don’t need to walk in the street.
The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project included over two miles of continuous sidewalks, one mile of new bike lanes, 12 new curb ramps, reconstruction of 26 existing curb ramps, 27 new pedestrian and bicycle crossings, and the installation of new landmark signage that enhanced the Montalvo neighborhood’s identity while improving safety and accessibility for its residents.
A significant portion of the project was funded by a Caltrans grant totaling $1.38 million, contributing to the broader Safe Routes to School program to improve student safety across the state. The City of Ventura also demonstrated its commitment to the project, contributing an additional $1 million through Measure O and gas tax funds to ensure its successful completion.
The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project was another milestone in Ventura’s ongoing efforts to enhance pedestrian infrastructure, following similar projects in West Ventura and near Anacapa Middle School on Telegraph Road.
“I would like to share my appreciation with the city of Ventura for securing and dedicating this funding to realize the Montalvo phase of the safe routes to school implementation,” expressed Dr. Antonio Castro, Superintendent of the Ventura Unified District. “These improvements have the potential to generate an even more active walking and bicycling community to and from school. Any reduction to the number of vehicles present during school drop-off and pick-up times is welcomed, as is the possibility of helping promote the physical growth and development of our Ventura Unified students.”
For more information about this project, please contact Jeff Hereford, Transportation Manager with our Public Works Department by email at [email protected].
To learn more about this and other Public Works projects, visits the City’s website at www.cityofventura.ca.gov.
