Fitchburg DPW

MassDOT FY20 Complete Streets Grants Rd 2- $399.6k to Fitchburg

Thank you to MassDOT for choosing Fitchburg to host your Complete Streets awards ceremony this Tuesday morning at the Fitchburg State University IdeaLAB!
Many many awards given---with Fitchburg receiving $399.6k grant for largely funding Main Street/Boulder Drive One way Each Direction main Street project, and $78k to improve Electric Ave for walking and biking including our mid-block crossing access to Coggshall park that council approved recently!
Mayor DiNatale and Senator Dean A. Tran accepted our award with MassDOT Highway Admin Jonathan Gulliver, Lt Gov Karyn Polito, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack and Councilors Beauchemin, Walsh and myself attending. --- MassDOT's Highway Admin Jonathan Gulliver took a nice pic with my favorite ward 2 Councilor and I to celebrate =)

As a member of the MassDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board for the State I am aware of and have been learning so much about the need for safe multi-modal travel for not only our community equity and climate resilience but for our economic development into the future. Statistics are showing that people want to live, work and invest in a community that allows them to walk and bike safely for recreation, work and short trips-- Fitchburg with our diverse population is positioning our infrastructure to meet the needs now and into the future by embracing roads that are not only safe for cars...but for all people.

Here are the details of what this $399.6k Complete Streets grant and $125.9k of our CDBG/Chap90 monies is funding:

  1. Main Street Corridor Improvements (Blossom/Cushing to Boulder Dr/Central St)
    Install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon(s); Upgrade and Install Regulatory and Wayfinding Signage for Continuity, Install plastic flex posts to delineate the yellow painted median on Main Street at Cushing/Blossom, Install Bumpout/Curb Extensions to Reduce Pedestrian Crossing Distance and transition to bicycle lanes, Revise Crosswalk Configuration to increase side street pedestrian visibility,
    Install Ladder Type Crosswalks, Install ADA/AAB compliant curb ramps with detectable warning panels, Sidewalk Repair
    (Eliminate Obstructions and Repair Vertical Separation> 0.25 inches)
    $86,449.53 CDBG, Ch. 90
    $274,832 Complete Streets

  2. Boulder at Putnam Parking Garage - Pedestrian Crossing Installation
    Install Ladder Type Crosswalks, Install ADA/AAB compliant curb ramps with detectable warning panels, Minor Sidewalk repair, Install RRFB and Pedestrian Crossing Signage
    $13,841.16 CDBG
    $46,138 Complete Streets

  3. Electric Avenue - Pedestrian & Bicycle Improvements
    Install Pedestrian Signage - Continuity throughout City; RRFB nstallation at midblock Bicycle & Pedestrian Crossing; Improve Mid-Block Crossing between Coggshall Park and
    Coggshell Crossing; Revise Wayfinding Signage to indicate transition from multi use path to shared road for bikes; Upgrade sidewalk between end of multi use path and park entrance; Provide Pedestrian Connectivity to Coggshall Park-ADA/AAB compliant curb ramps with detectable warning panels
    $25,668.28 Ch. 90 funds
    $78,894 Complete Streets funds

Salt Shed Ribbon Cutting

Attended the ribbon cutting✂️ for the opening of the most amazing brand new "salt shed" this side of the Mississippi. $539k new building.
Our Fitchburg DPW stores our sand/salt mix safely in here to load trucks for our steep streets in the snowy season...⛄❄ Will be a much nicer job for them now! 🚧🚚

A few Updates from the Fitchburg DPW 1/26/19

A few Updates from the Fitchburg DPW 1/26/19:
🚧Water Street Bridge: Design has not started. 25% design expected Jan 2020. Will be advertised in April 2021
New bridge over Boulder Drive will have 3 lanes northbound, 2 lanes southbound, bike lanes, sidewalks
🌳Rollstone Hill Rock Walk project: Approved for Student Conservation Association Crews in 2019
💦 Started researching different revenue opportunities for water department for the watershed forestland. There are several possibilities such as selling carbon offset credits or timber harvesting.
🎾CDBG reimbursement work: Continued to remove tennis courts at Goodrich Playground
💦 Shut off water at 60 Scott Road at tap (no curbstop present) following City taking possession of the property.
💦Reservoir levels as of 1/25/19: Meetinghouse=full, Mare Meadow=full, Bickford=full, Fitchburg/Ashby=full, Scott=full, Lovell=full

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Detention Swale on Shea St near Cathy St was FULL Tonight!

In case you were wondering what the HUGE new Detention Swale on Shea St near Cathy St looks like when full...the full swale was overflowing onto Shea St (as designed) from a huge amount of water + plugged up drain screens... our dpw was here in the rain cleaning the screens of leaves to get the water to flow through the drainage system faster. 18" Culverts out in two locations with a dedicated line out towards the Notown. Deepest point in swale is about 8ft!
Engineer Nick Erickson said before this was built there would be 2 ft of water in the road...so it is working!

💧Water Main Replacement in FitchburgMass Streets 2018

💧Water Main Replacement in FitchburgMass Streets 2018:
The following streets (in no particular order) are being done this spring/year (a continuation of last year’s project):

- Brigham Park, beginning just beyond Oak
- Beacon Street, from Atlantic to Summer
- Westminster Hill Road, from Castle to Bishop
- Park Street, from Main Street to end
- Jerry Street, from Jackson to Hardy
- Congress Place, from Congress Street to end of existing water main
- Winch Street

*The DPW Street Paving list is not out yet... but the Water, Sewer, Unitil (Gas) and DPW coordinate to ensure multiple functions addressed at the same time before streets get re-paved curb-to-curb

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