Central Mass. communities split $1.5M in shared streets funding

Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration has awarded the amount of $5.3 million for the Share Winter Streets & Spaces program, according to an announcement by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

This program was launched in November with the purpose of providing help to cities and towns in Massachusetts to conceive, design, and implement tactical changes to curbs. Streets, and parking areas in support of public health, safe mobility, and renewed commerce, with a special focus on the challenges of winter.

Central Mass. cities and towns including in this round of funding, announced in April, are Winchendon, Sturbridge, Sterling, Northborough, Natick, Marlborough, Franklin, Clinton, and Ashland.

• Acton received an award of $300,000 to create new connections to the Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail by building a sidewalk on Main Street.
• Ashland received $300,000 to improve sidewalks, shops, restaurants and other public places. 
• Clinton received $101,830 to purchase tables, chairs, shading devices, way-finding, and vegetative buffers to allow downtown businesses and restaurants to extend into the public way. 
• Franklin Regional Transit Authority, in partnership with Greenfield, received $44,649 to implement improvements at the bus stop on Elm Street in Greenfield. In addition to sidewalks, signs and passenger waiting areas. 
• Marlborough received $178,700 to construct an on-road extension of the Assabet River Rail Trail to Main Street.
• Natick received $78,750 to install street furniture, decorative lighting, and public art for outdoor shared spaces on public roadways in Natick Center. 
• Northborough received $59,609 to install flashing safety beacons at crosswalks, new pavement markings, new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps with tactile warning strips, and new bicycle racks.
• Sterling received $170,000 to realign a roadway to create a new safe public gathering and implement new pedestrian and bicycle facilities to make key connections to open space and parks.
• Sturbridge received $32,000 to install a new sidewalk to connect Tantasqua Regional Junior High School to Brookfield Road.
• Winchendon received $243,600 to create a safe, ADA-compliant walking route connecting Murdock High School, Memorial Elementary School, Broadview Assisted Living Center, and key bus stops to the downtown commercial, to include high-visibility crosswalks, safety beacons, and new ramps.