You be the judge. Which sidewalk and curb do you think is in worse shape? (Both images are courtesy of Google Maps.)

Is it number 1:

Grundy Elementary School, Morton, Ill.

Or is it number 2:

Trewyn Middle School, Peoria, Ill.

If you picked number 1, then you probably work for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). That’s the one they picked, too. They decided the sidewalks and curbs at Grundy Elementary were crumbling and in disrepair, and allocated part of a $253,460 grant to help repair them. For Trewyn Middle School in Peoria? Zip. Zero. Nada. Not a penny of grant money for that fine piece of well-maintained urban fabric.

Here’s the bad news from a recent Issues Update released by the City of Peoria:

The City received notice that it was unsuccessful in its grant application request for a Safe Routes Grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation…. The Infrastructure portion of the grant application included $235,000 for sidewalks and curbs around Trewyn Middle School and Rolling Acres Edison Junior Academy…. Communities in the area that were successful in their grant applications include Morton, which received $253,460.

Yes, Morton — because we all know how run down and short of funds Morton is. According to the Journal Star, they wanted the money to pay for “replacement of crumbling sidewalks, curbs and gutters, installation of new sidewalks, and new crosswalks in an area that includes Grundy Elementary School, Blessed Sacrament School and Bethel Lutheran School.”

Apparently the grant award process didn’t include a physical site inspection.