The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday), approved funding for the Safe Routes to School and Federal Recreational Trails programs. In our area, the Commission approved an award of $245,584 for the North Manning Safe Route to School program, in Manning. Altogether, six such projects received a total of $786,651 in funding for the program, which is designed to increase the number of children safely walking and bicycling to school. Funding is available to cities, counties, state agencies, nonprofit groups and public and private schools, through an annual, application-based program.

The Commission also approved $300,000 in funding for the Pottawattamie County Multi-use Trail, Phase 1, administered by the Pott. County Conservation Board. The Commission also approved an award of $139, 103 to the Dallas County Conservation Board, for the Raccoon River Valley Trail-to-High Trestle Connection/Hiawatha Trail.

A total of $1.3-million was approved by the Commission for seven federal Recreational Trails Program projects, for the purpose of developing and maintaining recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized trail users.