OMAHA- Bike/hike trails in Omaha, Fremont and even the small Sandhills village of Taylor will share in $50 million in federal transportation “alternative” grants. Funds will help build a bikeway connecting Midtown Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Fremont’s “FEVR Rail to Trail” project.

In Taylor, population 140, the “Kevin Brown Educators Memorial Trail” is planned along the North Loup River in the Sandhills for tourists and local residents to enjoy the local wildflowers and wildlife. According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, it was the largest amount given to Nebraska via the Transportation Alternatives Project (TAP) Federal Grant since the program was created in 1991.

The program is designed to help communities fund alternate modes of transportation, such as safe routes to school, recreational trails and traffic improvements. Vicki Kramer, NDOT’s director, said the TAP grants will make “a significant impact on the local communities and their economies.” The NDOT said that TAP provides roughly $1.3 billion each year for safety projects throughout the U.S.

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