CHICOPEE — During the Feb. 4 City Council meeting, Planning and Development Department Director Lee Pouliot sent a communication to update the community on the Safe Streets For All grant that was awarded to Chicopee nearly two years ago.
In December 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced nearly $18 million in additional 2023 grant funding being awarded to 11 communities as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
Chicopee was among those communities and received $320,000.
According to mass.gov, “The program was established through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and includes approximately $5 billion in appropriated funds to be awarded over the next five years. The additional grant awards will be going to planning and infrastructure initiatives to improve road safety in a number of locations, including over $14 million for the city of Boston.”
The funding awards can be used to improve roadways safety by supporting and developing comprehensive safety action plans, conduct data analyses, implement strategies and projects that seeks to reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries involving pedestrians, bicyclists, micromobility users, motorists, public transportation customers and more.
Pouliot said that there was an appropriation of $400,000 to the grant account established under the Planning and Development Department, with $320,000 coming from the state award and $80,000 in local matching funds.
The program is structured as a reimbursable program and the city will have invested the $80,000 local match as part of the agreement.
Residents have discussed the progress of the project stating that the city is not great with planning and that nothing has been done with the grant funding.
Pouliot submitted a timeline that started with the initial application being submitted in August 2024 with monthly updates up until October 2024.
The timeline states that delays were caused to address issues identified by the National Environmental Policy Act and Federal Highway Administration.
As of January, Pouliot said a request for qualifications was released to solicit consultant qualification statements with responses being due by Feb. 6.
Upon selection of a consultant team following the RFQ submission deadline, Chicopee will then begin the project including community involvement required by the Safe Streets For All program.
Pouliot stated, “For fiscal year 2023, FHWA awarded 385 Safe Streets For All grants in December. While staff is always hopeful, grant administration including the finalization of contracts and addressing unanticipated regulatory issues like NEPA, take time, particularly federal grants for which a significant number award are made. While addressing the NEPA process did take some time, the city remains well positioned to complete its project by the contractually agree upon February 2026 deadline.”
