Springfield’s Main Street will soon have more trash cans, bicycle racks and maintenance stations for bikes and wheelchairs.
That’s because the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR) Council has been awarded an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) grant of about $6,700.
“One of SPAR and Springfield’s main goals is to improve the bikeability and the walkability of the neighborhood,” said SPAR Executive Director Kelly Rich. “This grant gave us the opportunity to apply for small strategies we can implement into the neighborhood.”
SPAR is one of 129 communities getting funding from the AARP Livable Communities initiative. Other grantees asked for improvements like benches, crosswalk signals and lighting.
Rich said one wheelchair and bicycle maintenance station will most likely in a park and a second will be along Main Street.
“Which is something really cool that will have basic tools available and an air pump,” Rich said of the stations.
Some of the tools attached to the stations will include screwdrivers, various wrenches and tire levers.
Springfield bicyclist Amanda Watson who rode up to the post office on the corner of Main and 6th Streets Friday morning said the stations would be highly used. She’s a daily bike-rider who is fixing her bicycle often.
“Oh yeah, flat tires, constantly,” she said. “I’ve seen people ride around here on their rim, no tire.”
Rich said this funding only kicks a couple projects off SPAR’s planning improvements list, which also includes more crosswalks.
“We have a continual wish list for us to implement in Springfield so this is just one small step,” Rich said.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
