Reading Receives Grant To Improve Bike, Pedestrian Safety Near Schools

READING, MA — The Town of Reading has been awarded funds to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in an area near Reading Memorial High School and Coolidge Middle School.

The money is part of the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Infrastructure Funding Program, which is a federally-funded initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

In the latest round of funding, MassDOT has awarded $13 million to eight schools and communities for the design and construction of services in areas surrounding elementary, middle and high schools.

In Reading, according to officials, the funding is expected to be used for a proposed road diet — the reduction of the number of travel lanes on a roadway — and the creation of a shared-use path at Hillside Road and Birch Meadow Drive. The proposal would help improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, officials said.

The grant was submitted jointly by the Town of Reading and Coolidge Middle School.

In announcing the latest round of SRTS Infrastructure funding, MassDOT did not reveal how much money would be awarded for each of the eight projects. But the agency noted that the SRTS program provides both design and construction services for projects near schools that cost between $300,000 and $2 million.

"We are pleased to be able to provide funding for these important local infrastructure projects, which will help create safe pathways for students to get to and from their schools," said Gina Fiandaca, MassDOT's secretary and CEO.

Fiandaca continued: "Individuals of all ages are eager to walk and bike more in their communities and it's our goal to continue to collaborate with local officials and stakeholders to create infrastructure, connections and pathways that are accessible, equitable, and have the latest 'best practices' in place to ensure travelers safely reach their destinations."

Since it began in 2019, the SRTS Infrastructure Program has awarded approximately $43 million in funding for 38 infrastructure projects across Massachusetts.