North Attleborough has secured a $500,000 Complete Streets Grant to enhance bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along Landry Avenue, near the site of the new high school.
The grant, awarded in October, will fund sidewalk improvements, pedestrian safety measures, and parking adjustments to support students and the surrounding community.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) is still finalizing design plans, but hopes construction will take place this summer or next spring to avoid disruptions during the school year.
According to DPW Director Mark Hollowell, the current sidewalks are narrow and difficult to plow, with low granite curbing in some areas. The town’s annual road funding only allows for repaving about five miles each year—cutting that in half when sidewalks are included, due to cost.
“This grant is a huge help,” Hollowell said. “They (the state) are making it easier to get them.”
This project will focus on pedestrian improvements for the high school, and fits into a larger five-year road and sidewalk plan for the town. One major initiative is extending the sidewalk along Kelley Boulevard’s west side from Landry Avenue to Bungay Road, maintaining its status as a walkable neighborhood.
A key goal of the project is improving pedestrian safety, especially in high-risk areas.
“The goal is always to make it safer for people walking,” Hollowell said, citing the hill on Landry Avenue which obscures visibility at a crosswalk.
North Attleborough previously used a Complete Streets Grant three years ago for Arnold Road. The town is eligible for new funding every three years, making this program an important part of long-term infrastructure planning.
