Feb 23, 2021

Council approves Activate Alliance proposal to create crosswalk art

Posted Feb 23, 2021 4:26 PM

By Kalin Krohe, Panhandle Post

At the recent Alliance City Council meeting, council approved a proposal from Activate Alliance to incorporate creative crosswalks in the community. 

The Activate Alliance committee goal is to implement strategies to impact and increase walking, biking and rolling to support an active community. 

"Essentially the whole purpose of that is to improve walkability in the community of Alliance," Box Butte General Hospital Wellness Coordinator Daniel Newhoff said. "This specific crosswalk initiative is a group where we're trying to really increase the safety. We want people to be active in the City of Alliance. Sometimes there's issues with people being able to do that whether it's biking, whether it's walking...other forms of transportation. So we're trying to come up with some strategies that promote that."

Newhoff said Panhandle Public Health District have made efforts like this in other communities too. 

"The reason why physical activity is important, as we look at Community Health Improvement plan, is that we have a lot of chronic illness," Newhoff said. "With this crosswalk proposal are hopes are we promote physical activity in the community for safety and convenience. Strategies to slow the traffic as well...community beatification and also community collaboration. From our community perspective we see a lot of benefit, not in just physical activity, but community as a whole."

The Activate Alliance Committee proposed many locations for the painted crosswalks including: 10th Street on the path (Recreation Center), Box Butte and 16th Street (4 crosswalks), Emerson by the Berean Church and Laing Lake, near the schools, 10th and Laramie Avenue., and Box Butte and 21st Street. 

Here's one example from the Activate Alliance group on what a crosswalk could look like. 
Here's one example from the Activate Alliance group on what a crosswalk could look like. 

"The way that it would work is...ongoing as this comes up where we identify some kind of need for a painted crosswalk in the community, we would come share the location, the artwork that we would like to paint inside of the crosswalk," Newhoff said. "We'd have that approved [by City Council] before we began any kind of painting."

The funding for the crosswalks would start with Panhandle Public Health District. They are committing $2,000 to expenses. PPHD received a grant through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. 

Community members Kyren Gibson of Carnegie Arts Center and Kathy Worley from Keep Alliance Beautiful have agreed to assist in the painting of the crosswalks. 

"I think it's an excellent idea...I like it," Alliance Mayor Mike Dafney said. "I appreciate the forward thinking to help dress up the town and safety wise."  

In other business, council:

-Approved recommendation of Denver Air Connection to the Department of Transportation for air service for Alliance. This will be a two-year award for the service. 

-Approved the purchase of a 2022 Ford F-600 with an Altec Articulating Telescopic Aerial Device for the Electric Department in the amount of $165,496. 

-Approved for scraper repairs at the Alliance Landfill in the amount of $77,189.02. The repairs will be done by Murphy Tractor and Equipment. Council also approved an air burner purchase at the landfill for $134,451.65.  

-Heard the Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020 audio presentation from Marci Luth of AMGL, P.C.