Virtual hearing Dec. 17 on Oakland Road safety redesign funded by SRTS grant
MassDOT will host a Virtual Design Public Hearing on December 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to unveil plans for a transformative infrastructure project aimed at improving safety and accessibility for students traveling to Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) and Coolidge Middle School.
The proposed project, part of the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, includes a road diet on Oakland Road, reducing lane widths to create space for a 10-foot shared-use path with a 5-foot buffer on the west side and a 5.5-foot sidewalk on the east side. Additional improvements include new sidewalks, curb extensions, resurfacing, signage, crosswalk upgrades, and intersection safety enhancements at Hillside Road and Birch Meadow Drive. These changes aim to encourage walking and biking while ensuring safer, more accessible connections to surrounding neighborhoods.
This initiative builds on Reading’s long-standing commitment to student safety. Back in January 2013, the town celebrated the completion of pedestrian safety improvements around Walter S. Parker Middle School, funded through the federal SRTS program. That project added hundreds of feet of new sidewalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and traffic signage, significantly improving access for students and families.
The current RMHS-Coolidge project was made possible by a 2023 SRTS Infrastructure Funding Program grant, part of a statewide effort by MassDOT to invest in safe, multimodal school access. In that funding round, MassDOT awarded $13 million to eight communities, including Reading, for design and construction of projects near schools. While the exact allocation for Reading was not disclosed, typical SRTS projects range from $300,000 to $2 million. The grant application was submitted jointly by the Town of Reading and Coolidge Middle School.
MassDOT Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca emphasized the importance of these projects:
Individuals of all ages are eager to walk and bike more in their communities, and it’s our goal to create infrastructure that is accessible, equitable, and safe.”
Construction for the Oakland Road project is slated to begin in Summer 2028, with an estimated total cost of $3.26 million, funded through the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program.
Residents are encouraged to attend the December 17 hearing to learn more and provide feedback. Written comments will be accepted up to 14 days after the hearing.
This meeting will be hosted or a notice of cancellation will be posted on this website. https://www.mass.gov/event/reading-oakland-road-at-reading-memorial-high-school-and-coolidge-middle-school-srts-12-17-2025
