Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) was encouraged to hear Essex and Westbrook will receive just under $800,000 in collective grants supporting upgrades to transportation and accessibility infrastructure in those two towns. The grants were released under the Department of Transportation’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, which provides funding for local initiatives improving safety and accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians in and around community centers. The grants are intended to support health and environmentally sustainable local travel, also supporting underserved communities by providing equitable levels of access to safe, affordable transportation.
“I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Guilietti for their support of local, healthy transportation,” said Sen. Needleman. “These grants will play a significant role in supporting pedestrians and bicyclists in Essex and Westbrook, especially valuable in giving them safer means of transportation in enhancing sidewalk conditions. I am encouraged to see how our communities benefit from this commitment to health, exercise and access.”
In the most recent round of grant funding, Essex received $595,611 to support sidewalk construction and improvements along River Road. Westbrook received a grant of $197,578 to support YMCA pedestrian accessibility sidewalk connections on Essex Road and Spencer Plains Road.