Conte Community School Wins Safe Routes to School Bike Rack Grant

10:43AM / Friday, February 28, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced the winners of the 2024-2025 Bike Rack Grant through its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program.

Conte COmmunity School was one of the tree winners.

Now in its second year, this grant helps schools replace old, worn, and damaged bike racks, or acquire new or additional bike racks.

"For students and staff who bike to get to school, a bike rack is just as essential as a traditional parking lot for those who drive," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "We are pleased to continue to promote safe bicycling with grant programs like this and congratulate this year’s winners for their commitment to supporting school community members who walk, bike, and roll."

All SRTS partner schools were encouraged to apply. The bike racks are intended to be ordered and installed within the current school year. Each selected winner receives the funding necessary for the acquisition and installment of two to five bike racks.

Over 60 applications were submitted. The other winners are: Blueberry Hill Elementary School, Longmeadow and Jenkins Elementary School, Scituate

This is the first round of bike rack grant awardees, not including the successful pilot projects in Medford and Brockton during the 2023-2024 school year. Each of the pilot schools were given bike racks that could accommodate 15 new bike parking spaces. The selected bike racks were customizable, so schools could decide what colors they wanted and if they wanted the racks bolted into the ground or resting on pavement/grass.

The Massachusetts SRTS Program, sponsored by MassDOT and with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, promotes safer routes for students to walk, bike, and roll to and from school by fostering partnerships between community-led organizations, local law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments.

The program currently serves more than 1,200 schools in more than 280 communities across the Commonwealth. Through these partnerships, the Massachusetts SRTS Program highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety. SRTS also provides information, materials, and resources to support schools and communities with their local SRTS initiatives.

Tags: MassDOT,

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ServiceNet Hopes to Open Pittsfield Warming Center in Nov.

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A warming center is again planned in the First United Methodist Church for the cold months.

During last week's Homelessness Advisory Committee meeting, Erin Forbush, director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet, reported that they hope to begin operating the nighttime center in mid-November.

It would operate from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. in the church, which abuts The Pearl shelter. Forbush said the warming center would be the same program as in the past.

"Again it's a warming center, so there's no cots or beds, but it is certainly a place to come in, and we'll have a hot coffee or cocoa ready for folks," she explained.

"It will be a place to be inside and warm."

This year, ServiceNet hopes to secure full funding from the state so the warming center can open on Sundays at 5 p.m. In years past, they found that Sunday is the most challenging day for unhoused individuals because many community spaces aren't open.

The First Housing Resource Center, managed by Hearthway, opened earlier this year as a low-barrier option for people to rest and access amenities. It is open seven days a week, and Forbush said if people could come to the warming center on Sundays at 5, there would be a fuller day of coverage.

"It does still leave a little gap for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as spaces like the library close at five, but we know that Sundays were something that people were looking for," she said.

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