December 14, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
While Hingham is considered to be a well-planned, resident-friendly community, there's always room for making the experience of living here even better.
For that reason, Town Engineer J.R. Frey is hoping that Hingham will qualify for assistance under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Complete Streets Funding Program if the necessary town approvals are gained to proceed with the process.
A Complete Street is one that provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes -- walking, biking, transit, and vehicles –- for all users -- regardless of age, ability, or transportation mode.
Complete Streets improvements proposed for and funded by the program should fit within the character of a community. Possible small- and large-scale projects could involve constructing ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-compliant sidewalks and other improvements that include a separated bicycle lane and new crosswalks, for example, and installing bike racks, benches, and wayfinding signage directing residents and visitors to a particular park or other point of interest.
Other examples of projects that might quality for funding include improved street lighting and pedestrian access and better connections to available public transportation.
"Municipalities don't often have dedicated funds within their regular budgets for these kinds of projects, and the Complete Streets Funding Program can help cover those gaps," Frey said.
In order to qualify for potential funding, a community must first create and adopt a Complete Streets policy and develop a project prioritization plan.
By adopting such a policy, town officials show support for their transportation planners and engineers to, in part, find ways to design and operate the town's right-of-way to enable safe access for all users.
"The intent of the program is for communities to rethink and find ways to reutilize the town's existing rights-of-way -- land that falls between private property lines,” Frey said. "This could include improving access for pedestrians and cyclists as well as public transit users and enhancing ADA-accessibility [in different parts of town]."
This is a recurring grant program, which means a qualifying community could receive funding for more than one project. There's a $400,000 cap for each one, and a community can only have one active Complete Streets project going at one time.
Frey is currently working on a draft policy for the town -- which he will present soon to the Traffic Committee and then to the Selectmen, seeking their approval. Both committee and board meetings are open to the public.
"Of Hingham's 20 benchmark communities, we are one of only three that don't have a Complete Streets policy in place," Frey said. "Many of them already have projects [approved for funding].”
Adoption of a Complete Streets policy paves the way to apply for a technical assistance grant -- which if awarded, provides funding to hire a consultant to analyze a community's needs.
Public engagement is required as part of the technical assistance portion of the grant application, so there would be opportunities for members of the Hingham community to make comments and suggestions.
Next would come the submission of a prioritization plan for proposed projects and an application for funding for a particular project that is eligible under program guidelines.