Adrik Vargas
HEBER, Calif. (KYMA) – Heber residents may soon have a safer way to walk along one of the town’s busiest roads. The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the Heber Public Utility District (HPUD) are proposing a dedicated walking path along Dogwood Road.
The project would add wider walkways, solar lights, and new signs. Federal funding will help cover early planning.
One street vendor, Marissa Lopez, who works on Dogwood Road, says the improvements are much needed adding, “Tons of traffic, all day there is traffic. We’re here until 5 in the afternoon and traffic doesn’t stop. There should be some signs…because there’s no crashes, but there’s close calls.”
Officials say the community has been asking for safer walking areas for years.
Madeline Dessert Martinez, General Manager of HPUD, said, “We see residents walking down a dirt path. We see mothers with strollers, elderly residents walking to pay their utility bills. We really just want to make this area a safe space, a beautiful space, and a community space.”
The path would stretch more than 2,500 feet, connecting schools, parks, utility offices, and other community services.
Martinez added, “Lighting, a lit crosswalk and a bike lane so that those are kind of the minimums and then we’re also going to have greenery and shade trees.”
The project is part of IID’s new CONNECT Initiative, which aims to turn unused utility areas into walking paths and community spaces, what they are calling the Heber Greenbelt will be the first project under the program.
Martinez said, “We’re working together to make sure this is the best possible community for our residents.”
The path is still in the planning stages, but HPUD says once construction begins, it should take about six months to complete.
IID and HPUD say the project could serve as a model for similar improvements across the Imperial Valley.
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