The city of Hoisington is one of twenty-one projects intended to encourage more children to walk or bicycle to school have been selected for funding through the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The program, which was created in 2005, has several purposes:

•Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk or bicycle to school;

•Make walking or biking to school safe and appealing;

•Facilitate projects that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

"Obesity rates among children have more than doubled in the past 20 years," said Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller. "It’s probably not just a coincidence that only 15 percent of all school trips are made by walking or bicycle."

The following cities and school district will receive Phase I funding, which covers the costs of developing an SRTS plan: Chanute, Hillsboro, Holcomb, Hugoton, Overbrook and Baxter Springs USD 508.

Receiving Phase II funding for infrastructure improvements include the cities of Cheney, Emporia, Garden City, Girard, Hoisington, Lansing, Leavenworth, Lyons, Mulvane, Ottawa, Parsons, Wellington and the Unified Government of Kansas City, KS and Wyandotte County.

Two non-infrastructure projects were awarded to the Douglas County Community Health Improvement Partnership and Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. Non-infrastructure projects include creation of educational/encouragement programs and Walking School Bus programs.