Braintree Gets $65K Grant To Install Road Signs, Plant Trees

BRAINTREE, MA — State officials gave Braintree a grant worth more than $65 to improve curbs, crosswalks and parking areas throughout town.

The grant is part of the state's Shared Street and Spaces initiative, which awarded $6.5 million to 78 Massachusetts towns in its latest round of grant packages, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration said in a news release Wednesday.

"The Shared Streets and Spaces Program has now awarded $33 million total to 183 cities and towns since the competitive grants were offered to municipalities 13 months ago,"Baker said in a statement. "Shared Streets grants kept local economies going and gave the public options for safe travel and activities during the pandemic, helping all of us reimagine how we can share streets and spaces to stay safe and improve the quality of life in our communities."

State officials said Braintree's grant will be used to add curb bump-outs, bring all existing curb ramps into ADA compliance, install new signage for parking and crosswalks, and plant new trees on the portion of South Braintree Square that includes Washington Street from Pearl Street to Taylor Street.

"The Shared Streets and Spaces Program exemplifies the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to providing safe and equitable transportation networks that support the Commonwealth’s transit, economic, climate and public health goals,” Acting Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler said in a statement. "Projects like these can really have a major impact for daily life, safety and accessibility in a community – making a difference in a family’s choice to go out on the town, and a local restaurant owners’ ability to keep their staff employed and busy."