Grafton receives $300,000 grant for Milford Road sidewalk

Rep. David K. Muradian, Jr. (R-Grafton) and Sen. Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury) have announced that the Town of Grafton was recently awarded a grant through the Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program. 

 Specifically, the town of Grafton will be receiving $300,000 to construct a new sidewalk on Milford Road, in order to provide pedestrians a safe walking route away from a heavily traveled street. 

“I was excited to hear that the Town of Grafton was chosen as a grant recipient of the Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program,” Muradian said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly not been easy, especially for our local municipalities. I am confident that these improvements to the sidewalk on Milford Road will continue to help keep our community safe during these unprecedented times.” 

Added Moore, “The Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program provides valuable funding to make towns in the Commonwealth more accessible for all residents. The program has become even more critical due to the ongoing public health crisis, as it is vital to create spaces that can accommodate people coming and going, without putting them at risk of contracting the coronavirus.”  

Peter R. Carlson, Chair of the Grafton Select Board, said “We are most grateful for this funding as it will go a long way in helping to improve our existing sidewalk network by making it more efficient for the health, safety, and accessibility of our residents. The town thanks to both legislative delegations, Representative David Muradian, and State Senator Michael Moore, for all their assistance they have provided in securing state funding for Grafton.” 

Together with the Shared Winter Streets and Spaces grants made in December, the Commonwealth has invested $8 million in municipal Shared Streets projects so far. A total of $10 million has been allocated for this program. 

MassDOT is particularly focused on projects that respond to the current public health crisis and provide safe mobility for children, for senior citizens, to public transportation, and to open space and parks. 

The Baker-Polito Administration, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), established the Shared Streets and Spaces Program in June of 2020. The Program quickly became popular within the Commonwealth, as it provides grants to municipalities for quick improvements to their sidewalks, curbs, streets, on-street parking spaces, and off-street parking lots to support public health and safety. MassDOT chose to extend the program through winter to help municipalities continue to address the challenges that come with the pandemic. They recently announced a total of $3,236,762.78 in the third round of funding from the Baker-Polito Administration’s Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program.