MassDOT 12th Annual Safe Streets Smart Trips Video Contest

07:43AM / Sunday, September 21, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that entries are now being accepted for the twelfth annual statewide Safe Streets Smart Trips high school video contest.

This contest encourages students to showcase their understanding of roadway safety across all travel modes to try to decrease pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities. Per the contest guidelines, this year students are being asked to write and produce a 30-60 second video emphasizing "Safe Walking, Biking, and Driving Behaviors."

"MassDOT is proud to launch the 2025 Safe Streets Smart Trips Video Contest, now in its twelfth year," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "By engaging students directly in roadway safety, we not only raise awareness but also empower the next generation to lead the way in creating safer streets for everyone. We are eager to see the creativity and passion in this year’s entries as students highlight the shared responsibility we all carry to keep our roadways safe."

As an initiative of the Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan to promote safe walking, bicycling and driving behaviors, the contest is open to all Massachusetts public high school students and features a Freshman/Sophomore category and Junior/Senior category.

Grand prize, runner-up, and honorable mention videos in each category (Freshman/Sophomore and Junior/Senior) will be chosen by a MassDOT panel. Winning videos will be shown Wednesday, October 28, at MassDOT’s annual active transportation conference, Moving Together, where the creators will receive their prizes including $600 Amazon gift cards for the grand prize videos and $300 Amazon gift cards for the runner-up videos. Top videos may also be used in future safety campaigns.

To learn more about the Safe Streets Smart Trips High School Video Contest visit Mass.gov/roadway-safety-video.

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Lanesborough Seeks State Support for Berkshire Mall Redevelopment

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
05:58PM / Monday, October 12, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town plans to petition the state to take ownership of the Route 7/Route 8 Connector Road, which officials believe is a "critical component" of the Berkshire Mall’s redevelopment strategy.

On Tuesday, the Select Board approved a letter to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to request their support for the vacant mall's redevelopment by helping advance transfer of the Route 7/Route 8 connector and considering funding for essential infrastructure.

"We have held discussions with the Baker Hill Road District … which will take the necessary steps to formally petition the commonwealth to take over ownership of the Route 7, Route 8 connector…Your continued support in facilitating this transfer is greatly appreciated," the letter says.

Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings has said the potential sale and redevelopment of the mall hinges on dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, a condition of the agreement that, if unmet, would render the contract null and void.

As a result, the mall will continue to deteriorate and the litigation will proceed forward, said Tim Grogan, of JMJ.

Vera Farrell, the liaison to the Baker Hill Road District, said the district board had discussed at one of its most recent meetings that the connector road could be transferred directly to the state, rather than returned to the town; Barrett and Mark were also a part of the discussion.

"The representatives recommended that as an option, that it could transfer the connector road directly to the state, as opposed to deeding it back to the town to dispense it. If we get to that point, that would be a better option to do it that way," Farrell said.

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