On Thursday, May 27, 2010, the Texas Transportation Commission approved 200 new federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects, totaling approximately $54.1 million. This funding will be used by local communities for educational programs and infrastructure improvements that make it safer for Texas children to walk or bike to school.

Belton's Safe Routes to School Construction Project at Miller Heights was one of the projects approved for funding, in an amount of just under $500,000.

Belton's SRTS Construction Project for Miller Heights will include the construction of sidewalks in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act on streets surrounding the school. These streets will include Muelhause, Avenue M, Griggs, Magnolia, and Sharon. There will also be the installation of 450 feet of pedestrian crosswalk striping at intersections around the school, twenty-five pedestrian ramps at curbs, and three solar powered school zone flashing lights.

This is not the first time that the City of Belton has applied for and received an SRTS Planning Grant. In 2007, in cooperation with the Belton Independent School District, a $10,000 grant allowed the city to develop recommendations for creating a long-term, sustainable program for both able and disabled students to have access to safe modes of transportation. A team of stakeholders including parents, students, BISD teachers and administration, city staff, elected officials, and engineers collected data during public meetings and interviews to identify barriers to walking and biking to school and developed strategies to remove those barriers. An action plan was developed to prioritize needs at that time.

This action plan was used as a guide in 2009's application for SRTS funding, having identified Miller Heights Elementary as the highest priority campus in Belton. Fully 88% of Miller Heights students live within a two-mile radius of the school, and over 30% already walk or bike to school. The area has no contiguous routes for walking or riding, and the few existing sidewalks are not currently accessible to students with disabilities. The Miller Heights SRTS Project will rectify these, and other, conditions.

It is hoped that the improved conditions will encourage students to make environmentally friendly, healthy, and safe choices for transportation to and from school. In correspondence with the Journal, City Manager Sam Listi noted that both the continued and the final improvements "should make a huge difference in facilitating pedestrian access in the Miller Heights neighborhood."

Listi also noted that, like many times in the past, the entities of city government, the school district, and the community pulling together toward a common goal continues to help Belton grow in a positive light and greatly contributed to Belton being granted funds for the Miller Heights SRTS.

"Belton competed well because the need was apparent to TXDOT when our application was reviewed and we presented a unified community of partners - especially the city and the BISD - in developing the proposal," said Listi.