Grant money is helping police and schools keep your kids safe this year.

The Department of Transportation and the City of Onalaska are working together on improving the routes kids take to school.

The city received a DOT grant worth more than $117 thousand which will help the city improve sidewalks, pathway connections, and school zone signage.

Onalska Police Chief Jeff Trotnik says the police department will also increase enforcement around Northern Hills Elementary and Onalaska Middle School to try and promote kids walking or riding a bike to school.

"We're always trying to make the streets more walk able so when you look at safe routes to school it might be getting more kids to participate in walking and biking to school which isn't just good for their bodies but their minds as well," says Trotnik.

Murphy says the grant is available to Wisconsin cities every two years.

Altoona Schools Superintendent Greg Fahrman says a $190,000 grant from the DOT is helping fund a safe route to school project in Altoona too.

He says the project costs $420,000. Four blocks along Bartlett Avenue have been revamped. He says the sidewalks have been extended from 5 feet to 10 feet.

The city also extended areas where kids can stand see what traffic is coming. The crosswalks have been stamped in red so they show up better. He says the new safe routes project should be finished by the end of the week.