Northern Fort Thomas will have a long-awaited sidewalk with the help of a state transportation grant. The sidewalk will run from Covert Run Pike and Barrett Drive, down N. Fort Thomas Avenue to the city limits near Dayton.
The city will receive $592,3000 toward the estimated $750,000 project through the state-run Transportation Alternatives Program or TAP grant. The grant funds projects that provide safe routes to schools and enhance community mobility.
Funding is an 80/20 split, so the city will need to come up with the additional funding for the project. City Administrator Ron Dill says of the $153,500 needed, only about $37,500 will come from cash and the rest will be in-kind services provided by city staff.
This is an advertisement.
The city first discussed adding sidewalks after a road repaving project in 1987 and again in 2010, but according to city rules, projects such as these cannot be done without some outside funding. This will be the third time the city has applied for the grant.
Kentucky State Senator Wil Schroder sent a message of congratulations to the city. “I was excited to learn from the Transportation Cabinet that the City of Fort Thomas is the recipient of a Transportation Alternative Program grant for sidewalk construction. I know the city has been trying to obtain this funding for some time. This project will provide pedestrians and students with a safer walking route, and I am certainly looking forward to its completion.”
At the June 2 city council meeting, Mayor Eric Haas thanked Jack Moreland and Robert Yoder of Southbank Partners for their help with writing the grant application. Silver Grove was the only other city in Campbell County to receive a TAP grant this year for sidewalk replacement near its elementary school.
Next steps include additional paperwork and a public meeting, as well as planning for engineering and other aspects of the project.
