$61K State Transit Grant To Aid Beverly, Danvers, Peabody Residents

PEABODY, MA — A $61,000 state grant to the Cape Ann Transportation Authority will help make it easier for North Shore residents to get to their dialysis and other medical appointments.

The state Department of Transportation grant will go toward the CAT program that provides van transportation in Beverly, Danvers and Peabody, as well as a direct transfer from the MBTA RIDE.

The funding is part of $1.9 million statewide for communities, Councils on Aging, Regional Transit Authorities and nonprofit organizations, under the Community Transit Grant Program.

"The Community Transit Grant Program is essential in allowing transportation providers across the Commonwealth to adapt and improve their services for the public," MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler said. "In particular, these grants will help projects that will benefit individuals with disabilities, older adults, or others who need assistance while accessing transportation."

The program provides funding to assist with the purchase of capital equipment, mobility management projects, and operational costs in order to meet the mobility needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities of any age.

The funding announced on Tuesday is for the fiscal 2023 cycle for operating and mobility management applications submitted in the spring of 2022.

Thirty operating and mobility management projects received funding with additional funding for wheelchair access set to be announced this spring.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)