The Crawford County R-I School District in Bourbon has been granted $232,115.63 in federal funds through the Safe Routes to School program for a sidewalk improvement project.
These funds are federal dollars designated for increasing the safety of the children in grades K-8 to walk, bike and wheel to school and are administered through the Highway Safety Division of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
The existing sidewalk system through the community of Bourbon currently does not connect up to the school. The project will continue the sidewalk from the intersection of West Pine Street and Old Route 66 up to the Bourbon Junior High School.
This project is among those in the final round of the Safe Routes to School program. Another round will occur only if included in a future transportation bill. State, local, and regional agencies, schools, and non-profit organizations were eligible to apply for Safe Routes to School funding.
The purpose of the program is to:
*Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities in grades K-8, to walk, wheel and bicycle to school.
*Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative; thereby, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.
*Facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.
For additional Safe Routes to School program information, call 1-800-800-2358 or go online to http://www.modot.org/.