BOSTON – The town’s Beacon Hill delegation announced yesterday that over $680,000 has been appropriated for the coming fiscal year for Wakefield to use to fix its streets.
State Senator Jason Lewis and state Representatives Paul Brodeur and Donald Wong said that Wakefield has been appropriated $680,046 in Chapter 90 state transportation funds. The funds are issued from the state transportation bond and will provide resources for street and sidewalk repair.
Chapter 90 state transportation funds are distributed to cities and towns based on a formula that takes into account the miles of road in a community, the population of a community and employment in a community.
“I’m pleased to see the Town of Wakefield receiving these much needed funds for street and sidewalk repairs,” said Lewis. “Especially after the toll this winter has taken on our communities’ infrastructure, it is critical for state government to be a supportive partner with local governments in ensuring that our neighborhoods are safe for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
“Safety is a top priority and I am pleased we are making these funds available to Wakefield after this horrendous winter,” said Brodeur.
“This winter has taken a toll on our cities and towns and I am very pleased to have this funding made available to repair our streets and sidewalks,” said Wong.
Wakefield Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio said he was pleased the Chapter 90 allocation number has been released early but he added, “We also need an earlier release of the actual money because the construction season ends, for all intents and purposes, in November. And we are competing for contractors with every other city and town in the state.”
Maio said Wakefield would get another roughly $300,000 in supplemental Chapter 90 funds.
The town has been falling behind in its annual Chapter 90 funding each year for the past 20 years, according to DPW Director Richard Stinson, who said Wakefield really needs an allocation of about $1,792,000 to “stay even.”
Stinson was planning to meet today with a paving contractor to finalize part of this construction season’s work, which will include the paving of North Avenue from Quannapowitt Parkway to Broadway.
