Town staff told the Envision Needham Center Project Working Group that the town would not pursue a Federal Highway Administration demonstration grant that had been applied for in 2024.

Staff said the FHWA notified recipients this month that the grant cannot be used to pilot any measure that reduces travel lanes for motor vehicles and requested applicants resubmit by Dec. 31 under the revised restrictions. Because the town cannot commit to a specific pilot alternative in that short window, and because the grant sum ($320,000) is aimed at demonstration projects that would require significant staff resources and categorical compliance, staff recommended declining the FHWA offer rather than pursuing a constrained resubmission.

Staff emphasized this does not preclude local pilot work. "It doesn't mean we can't do a pilot. It simply means that that resource has gone away," a staff member said. The working group noted that smaller, lower-cost demonstrations (Jersey barriers, paint, cones) exist but are unlikely to need the full magnitude of the grant.

Staff also said state grant rules remain focused on Complete Streets elements and that the town will continue to pursue state-administered funding aligned with project objectives.

What happens next: the working group will continue to evaluate smaller demonstration options and track state and federal grant criteria as they evolve.