Traffic & Transit

Natick Gets Piece Of $6.4 Million In Complete Streets Funding

Natick is getting state funds to be used toward make pedestrian and bicycle improvements to streets and sidewalks.

NATICK, MA—Natick is getting a good chunk of change from the state that will be used to update its streets.

The Baker-Polito Administration’s Department of Transportation announced awards on Monday totaling approximately $6.4 million to 22 communities through the Complete Streets Funding Program. These awards are used to fund local, multimodal infrastructure projects that improve accessibility for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit users, and people using other forms of transportation.

Natick will receive $204,424 to make pedestrian and bicycle improvements to the Campus Street and West Street corridor and the Newfield Drive corridor such as widening sidewalks and adding street lights. This will allow for safer and easier access from Natick High School and area recreation areas and neighborhoods, and improved access from the West Natick MBTA Station to local neighborhoods, said the announcement.

Find out what's happening in Natickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“This popular program is just one of the many ways our administration is partnering with cities and towns to improve their own roadways to increase access to economic opportunities and connectivity throughout local neighborhoods,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a statement. “We are proud to announce this latest round of award winners to help ensure that local roads and transportation infrastructure provide accommodations for all modes of travel.”

A “Complete Street” is one that provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes and for all people, taking into account the ages and abilities of individuals. The Baker-Polito Administration has now awarded a total of approximately $30 million in construction funding since creating a funding program for Complete Streets in February 2016.

Find out what's happening in Natickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The Complete Streets Funding Program was launched on February 1, 2016. To date, 161 municipalities have approved policies and 111 have approved Prioritization Plans.

Please visit the Complete Streets website for additional information. Check the Complete Streets Map for the status of community participation and documents.

Photo via Shutterstock

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