PONTIAC - The Pontiac City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday night that would both repair sidewalks and encourage active lifestyles in area students.

The Safe Routes to School program is a reimbursement grant program where the city would be reimbursed for funds spent up to an allocated amount. The idea of the program is to make infrastructure repairs to sidewalks to encourage children to not ride in a car to school.

"It's designed to create an environment were students either bike or walk to school," City Maintenance Department Director Milt Hanson said. "Over the last 40 years, biking or walking has declined from 50 percent to 15 percent."

Hanson said that the city has identified around 8,000 feet of sidewalk in and around area grade schools. A proposal of $188,314 will be submitted, and the city will have three years to complete the project if they are awarded the grant.

The sidewalks are intended to provide safer passage for students rather than having children walk on the streets, as many do in the north end of town, City Street Superintendent Chris Brock said in a letter.

The resolution also said that this would hopefully support childhood health, reduce childhood obesity, an increase in a child's ability to interact with community and social environment and be a general benefit to the entire community.

In other business, the council:

- Approved an ordinance for the purchase of 1.15 acres of land in unimproved, river front real estate owned by Nicor gas for $104,000 to be used for park expansion.

- Approved the purchase of 75 trees for $10,950. In the year between Sept. 2007 and Sept. 2008, 60 dead or dying trees were removed from parks and parkways, and the diverse trees are part of a goal to plant more than they remove.

- Approved a façade grant for Pfaff's Bakery, 313 N. Mill St., for $1,200. Under the façade grant program, the city will pay for half of that cost.