Medfield Police Awarded Grant, Pedestrian and Bike Safety

The following information provided by the Medfield Police Dept.

Medfield Police Awarded Grant to Enhance Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

The Medfield Police were recently awarded a grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research-Highway Safety Division(EOPSS/OGR/HSD) to improve traffic safety on local roads for pedestrians and bicyclists. In total over $375,000 was awarded to 84 police departments across the Commonwealth, with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“ Bicyclists and pedestrians are at a greater risk to the motoring public because they may not be immediately visible to drivers and unlike those in vehicles, nothing protects them from a crash,” said Interim Police Chief John Wilhelmi. “We’ll use crash data and high pedestrian traffic areas to identify crosswalks, intersections, and roadways where our enforcement efforts can yield the largest impact on pedestrian and bicyclist safety”.

Under the grant, departments will pay for overtime enforcement to increase compliance with traffic laws by all road users. Departments are also eligible to purchase equipment to enhance the visibility of crosswalks and to buy bicycle helmets.