BOSTON — Great Barrington received $303,970.00 in Complete Streets funding for the construction of new sidewalks on West Avenue and Lewis Avenue. 

 

The project will also improve six bus stops, including new ADA-compliant waiting areas and lighting.

 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), on behalf of the Baker-Polito Administration, announced that $6.65 million has been awarded to 15 communities as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Round 2 of grants for the Complete Streets Funding Program. 

 

"The Complete Streets Funding Program has now awarded $90 million in total funding through 463 technical assistance and construction awards since 2016 to support municipalities in their ongoing efforts to improve their transportation infrastructure, build safe, convenient and easily accessible transportation networks and to facilitate economic development opportunities," said Governor Charlie Baker. "This program continues to advance mobility and connectivity throughout the Commonwealth."

 

These grant awards will be used by recipient municipalities to fund local multimodal infrastructure projects that improve travel for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit users, and people using other forms of transportation. This is the fourteenth overall grant round for this program.

 

A "Complete Street" is one that enables safe, convenient, and comfortable travel for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Administered by MassDOT, the Complete Streets Funding Program aims to teach communities about Complete Streets and encourage the integration of Complete Streets into regular local planning practices. Since the launch of the Complete Streets Funding Program in 2016, 256 municipalities have worked through the program to adopt a local Complete Streets policy and 225 have advanced even further to develop an approved Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. A representative from each municipality registered with the program also attends a training course to learn about Complete Streets.

 

Starting this grant round, communities were able to apply for up to $500,000 in funding to implement a Complete Streets project – an increase from $400,000 in prior rounds. 

 

Approximately 67 percent of the total award dollars will fund projects located in Environmental Justice Communities. Environmental Justice Communities are determined using U.S. Census data and are defined by the Commonwealth as communities in which the median household income is equal to or less than 65 percent of the statewide median, 25 percent or more of the residents identify as a race other than white, or 25 percent or more of households have no one over the age of 14 who speaks English only or very well.

 

Examples of project elements that can be implemented through the program include sidewalks, multimodal paths, bicycle lanes, improved street lighting, and pedestrian signalization at crosswalks or intersections.