Looking to ease the long-standing parking crunch in Dedham Square by making it more bicycle-friendly, the town has secured a state grant to pay for 10 new bike racks.
The grant will reimburse the town more than $4,000 to pay for the racks, which are planned for installation in the "Keystone Lot" at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and High Street, at Town Hall and at the Avery School, among other, yet-to-be-determined locations.
Each rack will hold nine bicycles.
Tom Revay, a resident and an advisory board member for the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, who initially alerted the Dedham Square Circle of the grant, said the racks would go a long way toward encouraging people to cycle around town instead of using their cars.
"It is always a problem to find a safe, well-trafficked area to store your bicycle," Revay said. "Where the town has decided to put them are good locations. I think people will use them."
Revay alerted town officials to the grant program, called the Regional Bike Parking Program, which is administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
Town Economic Development Officer Karen O'Connell, who put together the town's application for the money, said yesterday that the racks, which were ordered yesterday, should arrive in three to four weeks.
"Bikes can be a real economic development engine for a community," O'Connell said. "They help the parking problem and get people closer to the businesses."
O'Connell said in addition to the racks planned for Avery, the Keystone Lot and Town Hall, the town was looking at another East Dedham location, possibly Condon Park and spots on the grounds of other schools.
Depending on how much state money is available next year, the town could go for more racks in the next round of funding, O'Connell, said.
The Dedham Square Circle and Dedham Civic Pride organizations have agreed to pay for shipping of the racks and the Department of Public works will handle their installation.
Installing bike racks in Dedham Square has been a long-time goal of the Square Circle and is Number 29 on its list of projects to improve the area.
Dedham Square Circle President Peter Reynolds said he hoped it would give momentum to another project on the list, turning the "orphan rail line" running between Readville and Dedham Square into a bike path.
"It would connect Dedham Square and East Dedham and help draw traffic to both areas," Reynolds said.
Daily News staff writer Patrick Anderson can be reached at 781-433-8336 or panderso@cnc.com.
Looking to ease the long-standing parking crunch in Dedham Square by making it more bicycle-friendly, the town has secured a state grant to pay for 10 new bike racks.
The grant will reimburse the town more than $4,000 to pay for the racks, which are planned for installation in the "Keystone Lot" at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and High Street, at Town Hall and at the Avery School, among other, yet-to-be-determined locations.
Each rack will hold nine bicycles.
Tom Revay, a resident and an advisory board member for the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, who initially alerted the Dedham Square Circle of the grant, said the racks would go a long way toward encouraging people to cycle around town instead of using their cars.
"It is always a problem to find a safe, well-trafficked area to store your bicycle," Revay said. "Where the town has decided to put them are good locations. I think people will use them."
Revay alerted town officials to the grant program, called the Regional Bike Parking Program, which is administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
Town Economic Development Officer Karen O'Connell, who put together the town's application for the money, said yesterday that the racks, which were ordered yesterday, should arrive in three to four weeks.
"Bikes can be a real economic development engine for a community," O'Connell said. "They help the parking problem and get people closer to the businesses."
O'Connell said in addition to the racks planned for Avery, the Keystone Lot and Town Hall, the town was looking at another East Dedham location, possibly Condon Park and spots on the grounds of other schools.
Depending on how much state money is available next year, the town could go for more racks in the next round of funding, O'Connell, said.
The Dedham Square Circle and Dedham Civic Pride organizations have agreed to pay for shipping of the racks and the Department of Public works will handle their installation.
Installing bike racks in Dedham Square has been a long-time goal of the Square Circle and is Number 29 on its list of projects to improve the area.
Dedham Square Circle President Peter Reynolds said he hoped it would give momentum to another project on the list, turning the "orphan rail line" running between Readville and Dedham Square into a bike path.
"It would connect Dedham Square and East Dedham and help draw traffic to both areas," Reynolds said.
Daily News staff writer Patrick Anderson can be reached at 781-433-8336 or panderso@cnc.com.
