INDOT grants city Safe Route funding

A project that will connect Greencastle schools through a multi-use pathway has been approved for state funding.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has awarded $159,437 for the Greencastle Multi-Use Trail, a joint project of the City of Greencastle Parks Department and the Greencastle Community School Corp.

The urban connector trail will link four of the city's five public schools -- Dear Meadow Primary, Tzouanakis Intermediate, Greencastle Middle and Greencastle High schools -- and seven residential neighborhoods to a centralized trail network.

"This is an opportunity that we're real excited about," Greencastle Mayor Nancy Michael told the BannerGraphic. "INDOT has been real supportive of this project and of our People Pathways as a whole."

Michael said the funding is important due to the size of the project, and its financial impact on the city budget.

"Any time there is an opportunity for us to get state funding to help the local community we will go for it," Michael said. "We're really grateful to the state for their selection of Greencastle. We hope the community will share our excitement for this project."

There is no timeline yet for the start and anticipated completion of the project. The city is still finalizing some of the paperwork so property acquisition can commence.

INDOT has awarded more than $2 million in federal Safe Routes to School funding for projects and activities to help provide Indiana school children with a safer way to walk and bike to school.

Safe Routes to School aims to make bicycling and walking to school safe and routine for Indiana students. The federally funded program recognizes traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution near our schools, coupled with growing health and childhood obesity concerns, makes walking and biking to school an attractive low-cost way of getting to and from school. This is the first year Safe Routes to School funds are available.

For more information on the Safe Routes to School Program, visit INDOT's Safe Routes to School website at www.in.gov/dot/div/programs/saferoutes or visit the Federal Highway Association's Safe Routes to School website at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/.