The Michigan Department of Transportation announced this week that $1.4 million in federal funding will be dispersed to 10 communities throughout the state to make walking to school safer for children.
One of the communities receiving funding is Harbor Springs. Harbor Springs Middle School; along with two other schools in Emmet County will be receiving nearly a quarter million dollars to build new bike and pedestrian paths.
Mark Thompkins is the superintendent of Harbor Springs Public Schools. He says the construction will give children access to routes they didn't have before.
"The specific route that we're getting funding for comes down a fairly large hill and it's unsafe now for kids to ride their bikes down that hill or to walk in that area so it's path off to the side that will be safe and used by lots and lots of kids and families and people in our community" said Thompkins.
Thompkins says the new pathway will inspire people to walk and ride their bikes to certain places in the community. He hopes this will help improve the health of residents.
The Bad Axe School District is also receiving money; more than a quarter million dollars to put sidewalks and crosswalks at five locations throughout the community.
Donald Shelky is the Superintendent of Bad Axe Public Schools. He says the construction is much needed.
"We're located in the Northwest corner of the city. There aren't a lot of sidewalks for the student to walk to school. We're also bordering a sub-division that has thirty or forty children in one sub-division on the west and another one across M-53 to the south that probably has another 10-15 children in it" said Shelky. "There are no sidewalks for them to walk on so they're walking on the streets and there is a lot of traffic when school is opening up and when it's dismissed."
The counties receiving funding are Chippewa County, Clare County. Emmet County, Huron County, Clare County, Marquette County and Washtenaw County.