BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced the winners of the 2024-2025 Bike Rack Grant through its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program.

 

Conte COmmunity School was one of the tree winners.

 

Now in its second year, this grant helps schools replace old, worn, and damaged bike racks, or acquire new or additional bike racks. 

 

"For students and staff who bike to get to school, a bike rack is just as essential as a traditional parking lot for those who drive," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "We are pleased to continue to promote safe bicycling with grant programs like this and congratulate this year’s winners for their commitment to supporting school community members who walk, bike, and roll." 

 

All SRTS partner schools were encouraged to apply. The bike racks are intended to be ordered and installed within the current school year. Each selected winner receives the funding necessary for the acquisition and installment of two to five bike racks.

 

Over 60 applications were submitted. The other winners are: Blueberry Hill Elementary School, Longmeadow and Jenkins Elementary School, Scituate 

 

This is the first round of bike rack grant awardees, not including the successful pilot projects in Medford and Brockton during the 2023-2024 school year. Each of the pilot schools were given bike racks that could accommodate 15 new bike parking spaces. The selected bike racks were customizable, so schools could decide what colors they wanted and if they wanted the racks bolted into the ground or resting on pavement/grass. 

 

The Massachusetts SRTS Program, sponsored by MassDOT and with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, promotes safer routes for students to walk, bike, and roll to and from school by fostering partnerships between community-led organizations, local law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments.  

 

The program currently serves more than 1,200 schools in more than 280 communities across the Commonwealth. Through these partnerships, the Massachusetts SRTS Program highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety. SRTS also provides information, materials, and resources to support schools and communities with their local SRTS initiatives.