Weymouth Awarded $295K In Complete Streets Grants

WEYMOUTH, MA — Bus shelters, speed-monitoring displays, bike racks and improved crosswalks are among the projects Weymouth hopes to implement in 2020 with the help of nearly $300,000 in construction grants through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Complete Streets program. Weymouth officials said the total grant award through the rogram is $295,106 and can be used for construction-related expenses, police details and a portion of the project engineering or design costs.

Officials said supplementary costs of the program — about $13,500 — will be covered by local matching funds, with an additional $4,000 covered by Chapter 90 funding.

"Weymouth committed to the Complete Streets program in 2015 to make the Town more pedestrian friendly," Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund said. "Since that time we have invested over $400,000 in combined grant and local funding to create and implement our prioritization plan. This most recent award will provide for improvements at intersections that have been dangerous for pedestrians to cross as well as create more commuter and bike-friendly amenities in town."

This award comes less than two weeks after the Baker-Polito administration announced a $185,000 grant through the Department of Housing and Development to fund improvements in Columbia Square.

The Complete Streets grants will provide funding for a bus shelter at the stops at Pearl Street, Pleasant Street and Colonels Drive, the installation of speed-monitoring displays at the Union Street intersection near Russell Road, the installation of 12 bike racks at Jackson Square, Weymouth Landing and Whitman's Pond, improvements to existing crosswalks on Washington Street and installation of two rapid flashing beacons at the crossing located on Broad Street near Jimmy's Dinner.

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