Becket Awarded Funds For Transportation Planning

11:09AM / Tuesday, February 10, 2026Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON— The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through its Office of Transportation Planning (OTP), announced the inaugural round of technical assistance for communities through the new Local Early and Actionable Planning (LEAP) Program.

In Berkshire County, Becket was awarded funds for the High Street Improvement Project.

The LEAP Program, launched earlier this year, is designed to help municipalities—particularly rural and underserved communities—initiate transportation projects by providing early-stage planning and design support.

"The LEAP Program is a critical investment in the future of our communities," said Governor Maura Healey. "When municipalities get the assistance they need early on, they can plan for more efficient and effective projects that improve our roads and bridges, reduce congestion and improve quality of life. We are committed to supporting these communities as they work to restore, repair and enhance key transportation projects while advancing local priorities across the state."

Through LEAP, participating municipalities receive direct planning and engineering assistance from MassDOT and its consultant partners. Typical activities include:

Conceptual design and alternatives analyses
Safety and traffic analyses
Cost estimation and mapping support
Early-stage design and engineering for smaller-scale projects
Federal grant application development

The program is funded through $1 million included in Governor Healey's FY 2026 Capital Investment Plan and administered as part of MassDOT's capital budget.

Municipal leaders interested in future rounds of LEAP assistance can find information about eligibility, application timelines, and upcoming outreach events on the MassDOT Municipal Planning and Support website: https://www.mass.gov/massdot-municipal-planning-and-support. For any additional questions, they can write to MuniSupport@dot.state.ma.us.

Requests from municipalities that were not selected to advance this round will be kept on file for consideration in state fiscal year 2027 beginning in July 2026. These communities are also encouraged to contact MassDOT's Municipal Planning and Support Team to express continued interest in assistance through the program.

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Free Pet Food Drive-Thru in Becket

10:43AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

BECKET, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society will give out bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during a drive-thru event this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, at the Becket Washington School Parking Lot, 12 Maple Street in Becket.

The drive-thru is in conjunction with the Becket Food Pantry.

Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The event is open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank or participation in the Becket Food Pantry and is made possible by donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.

"We gave out nearly 7,200 pounds of pet food in our holiday drive-thrus in Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "People not only drove, but walked up to those events. I can't tell you how many of them told us how thankful they were for help feeding their cats or dogs," he said. "With the cold weather lately, we don't want people choosing between staying warm and feeding themselves or their cats their pets. With this event, we're hoping to reach more folks in the hilltowns. Thanks to our generous donors, we have more than 7,500 pounds of pet food to do just that! Thank you to the Becket Food Pantry for making the event possible."

Berkshire Humane Society's Food Pantry events are part of the nonprofit's efforts to keep families together and prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter's monthly Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society's Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.

Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru event or making a donation, call 413-447-7878, extension 127.

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