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Date: 11/8/2023
Longmeadow and Wilbraham are among 186 municipalities that have received Municipal Road Safety grants totaling $5.4 million. The funding is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is administered by the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
The Wilbraham Police Department received a grant of $30,000. Sgt. Brian Strong, who oversaw the grant application, said that $18,000 will be used to pay for patrol units focusing on targeted infractions throughout the year. There are six enforcement “blocks,” including winter impaired driving in December, impaired or distracted driving in April, Click It or Ticket in May and two month-long speeding initiatives.
Another $8,000 will be spent on new radar and lidar equipment and portable alcohol-breathe measuring units. Strong added, “We got about $1,500 to fund a child safety seat technician, to make sure they’re installed correctly.”
The grants are available annually and Strong said the Wilbraham Police Department has received the grant allocation it has requested for the past four years.
The Longmeadow Police Department received a $19,446 grant from the program and will use it in two ways.
“Through the grant, we will be deploying more traffic enforcement shifts to address traffic concerns and complaints,” said Police Chief Robert Stocks. In particular, the patrols will target speeding, pedestrian crosswalks, seat belts and distracted driving.
The grant will also fund a bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative. Bicycle helmets and safety equipment will be purchased and used in community outreach. Stocks said, “Our community outreach supervisor, Sgt. Danielle Rex-Bernashe, will be collaborating with our schools to provide presentations for the students in an effort to enhance safety on their walks/rides to and from school.”
Pedestrian safety was also the focus of an article passed at the Longmeadow Town Meeting on Nov. 7. Funding was sought for enhanced crosswalk safety features, including lighted stop signs and lighted crossing guard signs and vests. Stocks said that the need had not been identified when the grant application was submitted in June. With the article is approved at Town Meeting, however, he said the department may seek similar grant funding in the future for maintenance and replacement costs for the equipment.
When asked about whether Longmeadow has challenges with road safety, Stocks said speeding and distracted driving are two of the most frequent types of complaints and violations. In Wilbraham, Strong said, “We average one or two fatal crashes a year. We’re a small suburban community. We have a lot of cut-through traffic along Route 20.”
Gov. Maura Healey said in a press release, “Whether by vehicle, bicycle or foot, everyone has the right to travel safely through our communities. Through this program, we were able to award grants to every community that requested funding. The education, enforcement and outreach initiatives supported through these grants will help ensure safer roads for all.” Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll explained in the release that each community is able to identify its needs and request funding to address them.