By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The town is looking to receive a state grant that will be used to make pedestrian crossing improvements around the Town Common.
Town Engineer Lisa DeMeo recalled during the Select Board’s Dec. 18 meeting that the town has been receiving funds from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Complete Streets Funding Program, which provides technical assistance and construction funding for eligible municipal projects, over the last several years. She said MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program is an offshoot of the Complete Streets program.
“This program provides funding to municipalities to quickly implement improvements to plazas, sidewalks, curbs, streets, bus stops, parking areas and other public spaces in support of public health, safe mobility and strengthened commerce,” said DeMeo. “Applications with this grant must align with those goals, must be implemented quickly and flexibly, must be low cost and must include elements from at least one of the allowed project types.”
DeMeo said the town’s Shared Streets and Spaces grant seeks to address pedestrian infrastructure in Lynnfield Centre.
“The maximum this grant will provide is $250,000,” said DeMeo. “The projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. These are small projects that should be completed quickly. It will make the pedestrian experience safer.”
DeMeo said the plan entails making improvements around the Town Common. She said the town is looking to improve the crosswalk and the handicap ramps on Summer Street in front of Centre Congregational Church.
Additionally, DeMeo also said the grant will be used to make improvements to the Summer Street and South Common Street crosswalks located at the tip of the Town Common that are adjacent to the Lynnfield Public Library and the Town Hall parking lot. She also said the grant will be used to construct a new crosswalk in front of the Summer Street Post Office.
DeMeo said the grant will be used to make improvements to the Main and South Common streets intersection as well.
“The cars coming along Main Street are coming so fast that they take the corner onto South Common Street kind of wide,” said DeMeo. “I believe that is why that traffic island was put there. By bumping out this curb line, we are making it a little bit more of a T-intersection so that cars will be forced to slow down to make that the turn. That will be safer for vehicles as well as pedestrians trying to cross the street.”
DeMeo said the improvements to the South Common Street intersection also include installing bump outs, handicap ramps and painting new striping. She said the new sidewalks will be concrete and will include granite curbing.
In response to a question from Select Board member Phil Crawford, DeMeo said the bump outs for the Main and South Common streets intersection will include a grassy area and granite curbing.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan recalled that the town originally classified making improvements to the Main and South Common streets intersection second on its Complete Streets funding priority list. He said the main priority was improving sidewalks and crosswalks around the two elementary schools and Lynnfield Middle School, which were completed a few years ago.
Dolan said the town has decided to use its second grant, totaling $450,000, to make improvements to the Summer and Salem streets intersection due to the new Fire Headquarters being constructed as part of the $63.5 million public safety buildings and Town Hall project.
“If we get it, this new mini grant allows us to do the second and third worst intersections in the town for $700,000 from the state,” said Dolan. “With all of the projects being done in both areas, we could get a pretty good bang for our buck on the state’s dime.”
DeMeo agreed.
“The timing works quite well with the Town Hall upgrades because it has to be done by December 2025,” said DeMeo.
Select Board member Dick Dalton asked if the town has a “good chance” to get the Shared Streets and Spaces grant.
DeMeo said yes.
“This is the type of project MassDOT is looking to have people apply for,” said DeMeo. “With the Complete Streets program, every municipality had to come up with a priority list. Those are the things the state wants communities to work on. While we flipped a couple, we are continuing to do exactly what we said we were going to do.”
Dolan concurred with DeMeo’s viewpoint.
“We have a very good chance,” said Dolan.
Dalton expressed his support for the grant application proposal.
“This fits in with everything going on,” said Dalton.
Select Board Chair Joe Connell said he supported the grant proposal.
“This is a perfect fit,” said Connell. “The improvements to the Main and South Common streets intersection is certainly going to make people slow down because it will be more narrow. This is a great project.”
In response to a question from Connell, Dolan said the Select Board did not need to approve the grant application request.
“Part of the grant is getting your feedback,” said Dolan.