Yosemite Square — a higher-than-usual density neighborhood –  is posed to serve as a beachhead for tract home development into the vineyards and almond orchards in the rural area east of Highway 99 and south of East Highway 120.

As such it could ultimately create a lengthy period where city students may need to be bused to and from school.

Yosemite Square is a 797 home neighborhood being pursued by Lennar Homes.

Initial ground work has been completed with the next task up being the extension of sewer and water lines beneath Highway 99.

Part of the 137-acre project is within walking distance to three elementary schools — Lincoln, Joshua Cowell, and Woodward.

That is based on the Manteca Unified School District policy that establishes a 1.25-mile walking radius in which students will not be bused unless the superintendent determines there are safety concerns.

It was one of the reasons Mayor Gary Singh pushed for — and got — the developer agreed to install off-site sidewalks along Austin Road  all the way to Yosemite Avenue.

That said, the district is still facing precarious issues when it comes to the safety of future students walking to school.

Lincoln, the elementary campus on Powers Avenue that the Yosemite Square projects falls within in terms of attendance areas, involves the need to cross the busiest freeway on and off ramps within the school district  at Yosemite Avenue and Highway 99.

No other school attendance area in Manteca Unified is currently dissected by a freeway.

It was viewed as a safety hazard in Lathrop when Lathrop High students from east of the freeway had to cross under Interstate 5 while walking or bicycling to the high school campus.

Eventually fencing was added to separate the sidewalk from Lathrop Road.

But that involved high school students.

The traffic flow at the Yosemite Avenue and Highway 99 is significantly more treacherous.

The route to Lincoln School also crossing Spreckels Avenue where adult pedestrians can tell you those turning right on a red light onto Yosemite are notorious for not yielding to pedestrians.

It is also crosses a major truck route.

If students were assigned to Woodward Avenue, there is a different issue.

The overpass across Highway 99 on Austin Road will be removed within a year.

And it will be replaced with a four-lane overpass much like Lathrop Road over Highway 99 likely before the first homes are built.

While crossing the on and off ramps on the north side won’t initially be a problem as the soonest they will be restored under the three-phased 120 Bypass/Highway 99 connector project is 10 years, it will create ramp safety concerns eventually.

The replacement bridge will also cross the railroad tracks eliminating that safety concern.

Assigning the neighborhood to Cowell means students would need to cross busy East Yosemite Avenue that does double duty as East Highway 99.

And depending upon where they cross, there are significant sections of missing sidewalks.

In all likelihood, parents of students that don’t qualify for busing under current district rules will drive their students if possible.

But if they can’t, kindergarten through eighth grade students would need to cross a major freeway or a major highway. It is a situation that occurs nowhere else in the district for those that are not in high school.

The district could opt to bus the entire neighborhood, even the part that is within walking distance.

The situation serves as a reminder the City of Manteca development patterns can adversely impact the safety of students that will be walking to and from school from homes that the city approves to be built.

At the same not assuring safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists runs contrary to the climate action plan the city is in the process of vetting.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com