Funds will be used to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety
BOSTON – The Reading Police Department has been awarded a traffic safety grant of $9,063 as part of the Federal Fiscal Year 2027 Municipal Road Safety (MRS) Grant Program.
The grants, which are awarded through a competitive application process, are funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and administered by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) within the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).
The Reading Police Department plans to utilize $7,968 of the grant funding for pedestrian and bicycle enforcement, with a focus on monitoring and addressing pedestrian and crosswalk law violations by vehicles and bicyclists. The remaining $1,095 will be used to purchase 100 children’s bicycle safety helmets for distribution at the department’s annual open house and bike rodeo, where officers will conduct demonstrations of proper helmet usage.
“The Reading Police Department is dedicated to improving traffic safety, responding to residents’ concerns about vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks,” said Reading Police Department Traffic and Safety Officer Michael Scouten. “In collaboration with Safe Routes to School, MassDOT, and local officials, the department has developed a plan to ensure safer pedestrian crossings and walking routes, particularly for school children, commuters, and visitors to the downtown business district.”
The Reading legislative delegation commended Reading Police Chief David Clark and his staff for submitting another successful grant application.
“Reading’s police officers works tirelessly to ensure the safety of the public, and this grant award will further enhance the department’s ongoing efforts to make our local roads safer for all who use them,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “Funding from this grant will also help to educate young bicyclists about the importance of wearing helmets when riding to reduce their risk of injury.”
“Keeping our local roads safe is one of the most important things we can do for our community, and I’m grateful to the Reading Police Department for their efforts in securing this grant award and their continued leadership on this front,” said Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn). “This grant will help support the department’s work in making our roadways safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike while also educating young cyclists about safe riding habits.”
“Pedestrian and road safety is one of the top concerns I hear from my constituents,” said Senator Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester). “I’m grateful to the Reading Police Department for proactively acting to protect children learning how to ride a bike and working diligently to keep pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers safe all across Reading.”
Last year, Reading was the recipient of an MRS grant for $8,284.80. That funding was used to implement expanded crosswalk enforcement efforts in high-pedestrian, high-traffic areas of the town, with a focus on enforcing pedestrian crosswalk laws by citing motor vehicle and bicycle violations.
During the latest MRS funding cycle, OGR awarded a total of $5.56 million in grants to 191 local police departments in Massachusetts, including Reading.
In addition to the MRS grants, OGR awarded another $6.4 million in NHTSA funding to support the State Agency Traffic Safety Grant Program, $767,877.76 for the State Traffic Safety Information System Improvements Grant Program, and $246,009.37 to four non-profit organizations through the Community Traffic Safety Grant Program. A total of $13,008,329 was awarded by OGR through these four grant programs.