Projects Benefit 30 Rural and Urban Kansas Communities

MANHATTAN – On Oct 6th, at Manhattan Catholic Schools, Governor Laura Kelly announced $28.5 million has been awarded for 32 Transportation Alternatives (TA) program projects across Kansas for Fiscal Year 2023-24.  

The competitive grant program, administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), provides funding for a variety of projects, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure for non-driver access to public transportation, and overall safety and mobility improvements. 

“This funding will make it easier for Kansans to get outside and get moving no matter where they live,” Governor Kelly said. “By investing in our infrastructure, we are making our communities safer, stronger, and more attractive for generations to come.” 

Since 2019 and as part of the Kelly Administration’s bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), KDOT has awarded $59 million for 91 TA projects to both urban and rural communities. This round of TA fund distribution was larger than previous years due to additional federal funds provided to Kansas as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

Manhattan Catholic Schools, the site of Oct 6th’s announcement, was used by Governor Kelly to bring attention to how TA grants have been used to make it safer for children to travel to and from school. Past grants have built out the City of Manhattan’s Safe Routes to School program, improving crosswalks and new bicycle trails so students at six local schools can travel to class safely. This year’s grant adds to that work. 

“Connectivity makes a community, and these projects enhance connections by offering children and adults safe ways to walk or bike to the places they need to go” said Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. “Everyone wins with these through collaborative, community-based planning which builds infrastructure to serve current and future generations.” 

Funds for the TA program come from the Federal Highway Administration and are currently the primary source of KDOT funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects statewide, including Safe Routes to School. The program also funds transportation projects of a historical nature and scenic and environmental projects, including Main Street beautification projects. 

For this grant round, KDOT received nearly 50 applications, totaling more than $83 million in federal funds. The TA program requires a 20% local match. Project recipients selected for this round provided a local match of more than $7 million.  

The 32 Kansas TA projects selected to receive an award are: 

For more information, visit http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burtransplan/TransAlt.asp or contact Jenny Kramer, KDOT State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, at  [email protected] or (785) 296-5186.