The Ark ansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has announced the award of funding to applicants for “Safe Routes to School Program” projects in Arkansas , according to AHTD Director Dan Flowers. The program is a 100 percent Federally-funded initiative of the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

            “This program is specifically directed toward enabling and encouraging students in Kindergarten through 8^th grade to walk or bicycle to school,” said Flowers. “We were overwhelmed with 67 applications seeking over $8.7 million during our first year with this program. The Highway Commission was able to award $2.5 million in funds toward 37 very deserving projects.”

            Areas within two miles of a K-8^th grade school are eligible for funds to be disbursed in two categories – infrastructure improvements and educational programs. Improvement projects can include the planning, design and construction of sidewalks, crossings, bicycle facilities, as well as traffic diversion and speed reduction improvements. Educational programs can include public awareness campaigns, traffic education, enforcement and outreach activities.

            The AHTD will now work with the successful applicants to develop their proposals into completed projects.

 The following projects were selected for funding:

City of Hamburg , $91,080,

Monticello School District , $230,000,

City of Texarkana , $101,137,

Booneville School District , $134,449,

Mansfield School District , $103,000,

Ozark School District , $164,921,

Van Buren Police Department, $8,700,

City of Haskell , $98,038,

Forest Park Elementary PTA ( Little Rock ), $328,044,

Jacksonville Boys Middle School , $149,425,

Magnolia School District , $12,000,

Conway Public Schools, $76,360,

Greenbrier Public Schools, $90,000,

Lamar Public Schools , $3,000,

London Economic Development Corporation, $17,550,

Shirley School District , $6,884,

Vilonia School District , $184,000,

Bayyari Elementary School ( Springdale ), $6,750,

City of Green Forest , $27,000,

City of Harrison , $51,899,

Flippin Public Schools, $27,500,

Lead Hill Public Schools, $3,000,

City of Jonesboro , $287,500,

Harrisburg School District , $172,356, and

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, $178,905.

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