By Emma Crawford Kent Daily Journal TUPELO – Children and adults alike walking along Bryan and Monument drives between Thomas Street Elementary School and Hancock Park can now use new sidewalks thanks to a grant program called “Safe Routes to School.” Safe Routes to School is a federally-funded grant program, and funds are distributed in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT). The sidewalk connects Thomas Street Elementary to Hancock Park, where another Safe Routes sidewalk picks up, leading to Pierce Street Elementary and Tupelo Middle School. A stretch of sidewalk along Ida Street in the Tupelo Middle School and Pierce Street area was constructed through the Safe Routes program in 2015. The project was originally supposed to be completed in the fall, but bad weather pushed the completion date back. Shane Hooper, director of development services for the city of Tupelo, said although the project is finished, there are still a few touch-up items to be done. The city had to pay about 20 percent of the project’s total cost of $420,898, with Safe Routes funding the rest. While the sidewalks are designed to give students living in the area a safer way to walk to school, Hooper said they also increase the livability of the neighborhood. “Not only is it good for our youngest citizens, but it’s good for community growth and neighborhood growth,” Hooper said. Ward 7 Councilman Willie Jennings said he would love to see more sidewalks constructed across the city in the future through Safe Routes to School if the city can secure more grant money. Jennings said he also hopes the sidewalks encourage children to get out and walk more often, helping them achieve a healthy and active lifestyle. “In order to have good quality of life, you have to have sidewalks,” Jennings said.
Comment on City completes latest ‘Safe Routes to School’ project
Emma Crawford, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
Thu, 04/13/2017 - 4:43am
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