MACON, Ga. — Bibb County's pedestrian safety program is aimed at improving pedestrian safety at certain spots around the city.
One young Macon high-schooler who walks a stretch of one the areas slated to see safety improvements says the changes are necessary.
Kylah Freeman has it all figured out.
The Northeast High School senior plans to attend college to be a video game programmer. Her favorite subject is math. She's a hard worker at a local grocery store, but aside from all her duties, the 17-year-old has another mission when she gets out of school for the day: get home safely.
There's no sidewalk for most of her almost mile-long walk home along Old Clinton Road.
"Usually when I'm alone, it's a bit more scarier than doing it with other people, because cars be coming which way, and then, especially in Macon, I know hit-and-runs is a big thing," Freeman said.
The Macon-Bibb County Commission passed "Irene's Law" last week. Lighting and sidewalk additions along Old Clinton are the first priorities, Commissioner Elaine Lucas said.
"Luckily for me, I don't have to walk in the morning, but I do have friends and neighbors who walk to and from school," Freeman said.
"It's just an area that we want to focus on, especially with the schools, and areas where a lot of people congregate," Lucas said.
"I feel like sidewalks would be a really good thing, especially for us kids walking back and forth in the road, and then the same with lighting because the sun might be out in the evening but in the morning time it isn't," said Freeman.
Local leaders have not yet awarded anyone a contract for the project. Lucas says the county's engineering department will take things up from here.