Bartlesville to receive grant to promote community health

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - An effort by Bartlesville city officials to make Bartlesville a more bike and pedestrian friendly community just received some help.

Officials were recently notified Bartlesville was one of 14 Oklahoma communities to be awarded a Healthy Communities Incentive Grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Trust.

The Oklahoma TSET Board of the Directors approved a $10,000 grant for Bartlesville to help continue projects that promote physical activity, wellness and over all community health.

City officials plan to use the money to install new bicycle racks, “Share the Road” safety awareness signs and downtown informational kiosks and to print “Walk/Bike Bartlesville” brochures.

“Walking and biking are healthy transportation alternatives, particularly downtown where the bike racks and kiosks will be located,” said City of Bartlesville Grant Administrator Nancy Wade. “And we’ll place the “Share the Road” signs at major city entrances for safety awareness.”

The grant is one of $186,000 in grants awarded to cities across the state as part of a three-year, $2.7 million program now in its first year.

TSET and State Health Department officials will present the $10,000 check to Bartlesville officials during the city council meeting set for Oct. 1.

Other cities selected as grant recipients were Durant, Noble, Okmulgee, Idabel, Lawton, Norman, Ardmore, Shawnee, Yukon, Collinsville, Guthrie, Pryor and Hobart.