Ipswich Police Department Receives Grant to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Ipswich Police Department Receives Grant to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety 

IPSWICH — Police Chief Paul A. Nikas is pleased to announce that the Ipswich Police Department has been awarded a $3,000 grant to improve safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists sharing the road with vehicles.

The grant comes from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Highway Safety Division, which distributes nearly $300,000 in annual grants to prove safety and implement new programs for pedestrians and bicyclists in Massachusetts. Ipswich is one of 70 police departments statewide receiving a portion of the overall grant amount.

“The Ipswich Police Department strives for a safe and comfortable atmosphere for everyone, whether on foot, two wheels, or four,” Chief Nikas said. “This grant funding will go far toward ensuring and improving safety in our community.”

The Massachusetts Traffic Records Analysis Center (MassTRAC) reported that during the years of 2005-2012, roughly 2,900 pedestrians and bicyclists were injured in Massachusetts, and another 591 people died while travelling along these roadways.  This safety grant will aim to reduce the number of vehicle-related deaths and lower the injured number of people getting hurt while travelling on the roadways due to inappropriate sharing of the road.

Ipswich Police Department and EOPSS are partnering to reduce and prevent accidents and safety issues involved with travelling pedestrians, cars, and bicyclists.  Both groups recognize that vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists need to share the road effectively so everybody travelling is safe.

This year, the EOPSS awarded nearly $3 million in grants for municipal police departments. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.

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