Published in the March 2, 2018 edition

MELROSE — The City of Melrose will receive $377,211 from the State’s Complete Streets program this year to improve roads and sidewalks for targeted projects compiled through the City’s prioritization plan. Melrose is receiving nearly the maximum allowed under the program which aims to enhance safety and accessibility for all modes of transportation.

“To receive the full amount requested from MassDOT is a great tribute to the thoroughness and hard work the Complete Streets Working Group put into Melrose’s program. We have been working on this for a year and it is wonderful to have been chosen. I am excited to get our first three projects moving as soon as weather allows,” said Mayor Gail Infurna.

The Melrose Complete Streets Working Group began the prioritization process by evaluating over 40 potential projects citywide. The working group includes a cross section of stakeholders including Melrose Birth to Five, Melrose Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, Melrose School and Public Safety officials, Melrose Board of Aldermen, and other City Departments.

After narrowing down to 25 projects that were deemed the highest priority to the cross-section of stakeholders in the Working Group, then ranking those projects using a matrix of established criteria, the final list was reviewed citywide through public meetings. From there, three of the highest ranking projects were submitted to MassDOT for funding approval.

These three projects were all approved by the State for the current year and are scheduled for completion by June 30, 2019. They include:

• Melrose High School/Middle School walking and biking improvements:

Installation of bike lanes, accessible curb ramps, re-alignment/restriping of crosswalks, and signage in the vicinity of Melrose High School and Middle School. This project will greatly improve pedestrian and bicycle access for students and parents going to/from the schools. Currently crosswalk locations can be hidden due to queuing vehicles as part of the drop off/pick up lines on Melrose Street during school arrival and dismissal. Relocating crosswalks to locations with better sight distances will improve the safety of pedestrian crossings. Accessible sidewalks on Melrose and Crystal Streets will help to connect the High School/Middle School, other local schools, nearby parks, Ell Pond, athletic fields, and provide a link to the main downtown and business district.

• Howard Street (Green Street to Nelson Road) ADA upgrades, intersection realignment, and crossing improvements:

Reconstruction of accessible curb ramps, installation of pedestrian bump-outs, re-alignment of the Green/Howard and Howard/Clifford/Elm intersections, and re-alignment/restriping of crosswalks, and installation of a pedestrian-activated crosswalk warning device at Nelson Road to create a consistent, accessible route along Howard Street from Green Street to Nelson Road. Providing an accessible route on these streets links the Horace Mann School, athletic fields, Colby Park, surrounding neighborhoods, and destinations and neighborhoods to the north and south, as well as connections to the west towards the Franklin Early Childhood Center and the Main Street downtown and business area. The re-alignment of the intersections will reduce corner radii, eliminate Y-intersections, and greatly reduce pedestrian crossing distances and motorist confusion.

 • Bike Network North-South: 

New bike lanes, shared bike lanes, and/or neighborhood greenways to create comprehensive north-south bicycling routes from Franklin Street to West Wyoming Avenue and on Main Street from West Wyoming north to the Wakefield line.

Mayor Infurna added, “I want to thank Governor Baker for creating this program to help cities and towns across the Commonwealth, as well as Senator Lewis and Representative Brodeur for ensuring our application was given every consideration. This supplemental money for roadwork will let us address several projects that otherwise would not be able to be funded under our roadway program in 2018.”

City officials are hopeful additional projects from the prioritization list will be funded in 2019 and beyond. “Our goal is to have a strong list of projects ready for approval for each MassDOT funding cycle going forward,” added Infurna.

To see a complete list of projects and to learn more, please visit https://www.cityofmelrose.org and click on “Complete Streets” on the home page.