It's a healthier option for transportation.

Theres federal money available for districts to create safe routes for students to walk to school.

It's this weeks Steps to A Healthier New York.

We know the benefits of physical activity, especially for children.

It's one of the reasons the federal government is giving out money to create safe routes to schools.

There's about 617 thousand dollars set aside for schools in our area.

"They can do things to make their students healthier make the areas around their schools safer," says Barbara Thomas, Coordinator, Safe Routes To School.

And there are so many possibilities.

Improving sidewalks, traffic signals, paying for crossing guard vests even using the money for a presentation in the schools encouraging children to walk.

"We have partnered with Steps and the steps program and really looking at this program as a way to increase physical activity with students making it safe and easy and fun for them to walk to school," says Senior Transportation Planner of BMTS, Scott Reigel.

And theres still plenty of time to apply.

The deadline is April 1st.

"The application needs to come from sponsors and that sponsor can be municipalities, county, town village cities, it can come from an individual public school or individual public school district," says Thomas.

You can encourage your school or local leader to apply where you live.

The school just needs to develop a plan on how they'd use the money.

"Look at different situations that they are focusing on maybe some issues there might be a speeding problem or maybe they don't have sidewalks leading to the school," say Reigel.

And the application is available online.

www.nys.gov and click on S for Safe Routes to School.

For more information, log onto www.broomesteps.org.