Westport given new sidewalk repair funds
Sidewalks in Westport are in poor condition, affecting civilians and prompting the new allotment of repair funds.
The town of Westport was given $250,000 by the state of Connecticut for sidewalk repairs around Greens Farms Elementary School on Sept. 19.
The recent allotment of money to Connecticut towns, including Westport, is a part of the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, also known as STEAP. Governor Ned Lamont approved this grant to cover 77 towns, costing the state around $31.3 million.
According to the state, this money will be spent towards road safety projects, sidewalk construction and sewer and drainage updates. Along with receiving this money, Westport must also contribute $100,000 of its own town funds towards the project.
Given that many new drivers walk to Staples High School from Wakeman Town Farm, some Staples students believe that the issue of poor sidewalks is prevalent in more than the Green Farms Elementary Area.
“As someone who walks to Staples every day, I have to walk on the side of the road, which isn’t safe,” Athina Sarmiento ’24 said.
The goal of repaving these sidewalks is to create a safer area for walking to school and retail nearby the school. Some of the fixed sidewalks would be on the Boston Post Road, Morningside Drive and Hillandale Road.
Director of Westport Public Works Peter Ratkiewich stated that while there are other areas that need reconstruction, these other sections would have been involved in an extensive permitting process to use state money.
“We had a very short window to get this application out and did not have time to execute that process,” Ratkiewich said. “We simply excluded [other areas needing improvements]. They will get done but just not under this grant, but rather using town funds.”
