Manassas Park, Va. - There are plans in the works to light the path between West Carondolet Court and Railroad Drive in Manassas Park.
The VRE Path -- as it's known to residents of the Bloom's Crossing, Belmont Station and Manassas Park Station -- needs lighting especially in the winter for people to feel safe in using it, said Kathleen Gammell, director of Manassas Park's Public Works department.
"I think a lot of people use that during the summer, but when it gets darker in the winter, it's not a very safe place to be," Gammell recently told the Manassas Park City Council.
Gammell was before the council asking permission to accept a $155,000 federal grant from the Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy to install solar lighting on the path that leads to the Virginia Railway Express station on Railroad Drive.
The city will have to come up with $43,380 in matching money to move the project forward.
Gammell told the council that the money could come from projects that are currently running under budget and could be garnered from the motor fuels tax.
"What we have ahead of us is we have to go out for bid and then I'll have to write a resolution redistributing the motor fuels tax money portion of that to this project,"Gammell said.
Once a bid is accepted Gammell would return to the council for the money to proceed.
Gammell said she's been trying for some time to get lighting for the path.
"It's been something I've been trying to get funding for, for about four years now. Finally, this opportunity came up for the energy grant and we were successful," she said.
The solar lights would store energy during the day and be on motion sensors at night, Gammell said.
"They can turn off based on a timer and if somebody comes down the path they will trigger on," Gammell said
Gammell hopes to have the project completed this fiscal year.
"It looks like we might finally get those lights in there,"she said. "I think it will encour-age a lot of people to walk in the winter months and save a little space in the parking lot, I suspect."
Senior reporter Keithn Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.
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