Everett committee backs sending $500,000 MassDOT sidewalk and roadway grant to full council

The Everett City Committee on Government Operations, Public Safety and Public Service voted Nov. 25 to recommend the City Council accept and expand a $500,000 Massachusetts Department of Transportation grant to repair sidewalks, adjust bus stops and fund other roadway improvements on Broadway between Maple and Tenable Avenue.

Sponsor Councilor Garcia told the committee the project’s cost will match the $500,000 grant and that additional repaving tied to recent utility work will be covered by National Grid, not city taxpayers. “The sidewalks do need work. There are cracks,” Garcia said, adding residents and businesses have reported disruption from ongoing spring roadwork and that the project will not widen sidewalks or change parking layouts as proposed in prior projects.

Chief of Staff Aaron Deveney, invited to clarify, said the city will administer the MassDOT funds and put the work out to bid. “The purpose for this is to help us to achieve greater ADA compliance and accessibility with the sidewalks,” Deveney said. He also said the MBTA is running a separate bus‑stop redesign project and that MBTA contract work is distinct from the MassDOT grant the committee considered.

Councilors raised questions about whether the MBTA would remove parking when relocating bus stops. Councilor DeToni recalled prior local MBTA work that took parking spaces and urged engineers to avoid unnecessary loss of parking when siting stops; he also noted a city sidewalk contractor (identified in the discussion as Mike Casey) is already under contract for other sidewalk work in Everett.

After discussion the committee voted to give the request favorable action and send it to the full City Council for final approval. The chair announced, “the ayes have it.” The committee did not record a numeric roll call in the transcript; the motion will appear on the council docket for a vote by the full council.

Next step: the item will be placed on the Everett City Council agenda for consideration and final acceptance of the MassDOT grant.