Medford Square Signage Project Gets $250,000 State Grant

The grant will fund the design, planning, production, and installation of new signs and other wayfinding materials meant to help residents.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Nov 5, 2026 1:23 PM EST

The funds come from the state's Downtown Initiative Capital Grant Program. (Mike Carraggi/Patch)

MEDFORD, MA — The city has secured state funding to help residents and visitors navigate the downtown area.

Medford received $250,000 through the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Capital Grant Program to support the first phase of its Wayfinding Master Plan. The funding will cover the design, planning, production, and installation of new signs and other wayfinding materials to help people locate businesses, public spaces, and other destinations.

"This grant is an important step toward making Medford Square more inviting and easier to navigate," Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said. "When residents and visitors can easily find our local businesses, public spaces, and other destinations, it benefits our entire community." The broader plan calls for a coordinated system of signs for people walking, biking, and driving, with the first phase establishing design standards for future improvements across Medford.

The city released the finalized plan on May 7 following a study launched in the spring of 2025. Design firm OverUnder conducted the study in partnership with MassDevelopment and Medford's Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability. The process included 14 stakeholder focus groups, a survey with more than 500 responses, and three community pop-ups to gather feedback on proposed designs.

The study built on an earlier pedestrian and bicycle wayfinding pilot that brought temporary signs to Medford Square. Those signs directed visitors to nearby destinations and showed estimated walking and biking times. The planning study was funded through the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Community Mitigation Grant program to address regional casino impacts and highlight local cultural and business destinations.

Accessibility was also part of the review process. The city partnered with the Institute for Human Centered Design on a January 2026 focus group to review preliminary designs for accessibility.

"This grant provides important funding to move this project from planning to implementation," Economic Development Director Kayla Myros said. "It will support the design engineering, site planning, fabrication, and installation needed to deliver the first phase of signage and wayfinding materials."

Following Medford Square, the plan recommends expanding the system to Haines Square, Hillside, Riverbend Park, Wellington, and West Medford Square. Later phases would cover other parks and open spaces, additional districts, routes connecting those districts, and the remainder of the city.

The Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability will oversee the project, beginning with design and planning for the first round of signs in Medford Square.