GROVELAND –Town Planner Rebecca Oldham is pleased to share that the Town of Groveland has been awarded $29,590 by the Mass. Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to fund an initiative to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety near the Bagnall Elementary School.
The funding will allow the town to install preventative safety measures for pedestrians and vehicle operators on School Street (Route 97) in the center of Groveland.
“We are so thankful that MassDOT has allocated this funding to enable us to make safety improvements to Route 97 near the area of the Bagnall,” Oldham said. “We will use these funds to ensure that students, pedestrians and cyclists all reach their destinations safely and securely.”
The grant was awarded as a part of the Shared Winter Streets and Spaces Program, created by the Mass. Department of Transportation (DOT) to support projects that promote safe travelling in municipalities, public health, and the creation of repurposed space to allow for adequate social distancing while walking, biking, dining, shopping or travelling on public transportation.
The funds will allow the Town of Groveland to install a pedestrian-activated rapid flashing beacon at the intersection of Ashcroft and School Street, and reflective strips to the crosswalk signage at the intersection School Street and Ashcroft as well as the intersection at School Street and Center Street. Groveland will also install advanced warning signage and new pavement markings. School Street, a stretch of commuter road with a 40 mph speed limit, intersects with Ashcroft Terrace and Center Street, both of which are linked to neighborhoods that produce heavy foot and bicycle traffic on the way to the Bagnall School.
The Town of Groveland has sought out funding to improve safety in the area of the Bagnall Elementary School as a result of encouragement from the parents of students, residents on Ashcroft Terrace and MassDOT Safe Routes to School program.
“The number one concern that we have had with this area is the safety of pedestrians and cyclists,” Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said. “This grant will directly benefit the community and help to keep our citizens safe while walking to school, jogging, bicycling and so on. I’d like to thank Rebecca and everyone who took the initiative to make this happen.”
Work to implement these changes will begin in the near future, subject to variables such as weather, equipment and materials. The Town will complete the project by no later than May 31, 2021, however.
###