Six schools across Massachusetts are the new recipients of the 2025-2026 Bike Rack Grant out of MassDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
The Bike Rack Grant, now in its second second year, aims to promote “walking, biking, and rolling to school” by adding new bike racks and bike parking spaces as well as replacing old and damaged ones.
The broader SRTS program is backed by MassDOT and funded by the Federal Highway Administration, promoting safer routes for students and families to get to school and prioritizing pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Through providing resources and materials, and fostering partnerships with community-based organizations, municipalities, and education and public health personnel, the state reports SRTS currently supports 1,300 schools in more than 285 communities in Massachusetts.
“The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Bike Rack Grant Program allows students the opportunity to choose active, healthy, and sustainable ways to get to school,” said Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng in a press release.
In the application period from October 31 to November 14 of last year, over 60 SRTS partner schools submitted applications.
This year’s recipients are Linden STEAM Academy in Malden (the author’s elementary and middle school), Sunderland Elementary School in Sunderland, Grafton Street School in Worcester, Memorial Elementary School in Hopedale, Greenhalge Elementary School in Lowell, and Mulready Elementary School in Hudson.
Last year’s pilot program recipients were Medford and Brockton.
The schools will be able to customize the bike racks, from colors to installation into the ground or on pavement or grass. Grafton, Linden, Mulready, Greenhalge, Memorial, and Sunderland will see those bike racks installed within this ongoing school year.
“By investing in safe, secure bike parking, MassDOT is helping schools across the Commonwealth support walking, biking, and rolling… improving safety and accessibility, giving families more transportation options,” Eng commented.
Why Apply?
Sarah Herbert, principal of Grafton Street School in Worcester, was seeing an uptick in interest from 5th and 6th grade students in biking to school, despite being located on what she described as a busy main road.
“The majority of our students walk or bike to school each day,” Herbert told StreetsblogMASS, but previous fundraising efforts to purchase and install permanent racks have been unsuccessful.
Brian Miller, principal of Memorial Elementary School in Hopedale, shares a similar sentiment of seeing a “notable” increase in students riding bikes and scooters to school and wanting to meet the moment.
“We have one bike rack,” Miller said. “It is not nearly sufficient enough to safely store our students' bicycles.”
Jade Giacoppo, an Administrative Assistant at the Linden School who also happens to be a parent and PTO leader, was inspired to apply by a desire to see more families empowered and encouraged to ride their bikes to school.
Bike Racks: Before and After
Before the grant, the state of bike racks at the awardee schools was questionable at best.
Linden (a K-8 school) has “a few bike racks on the elementary side of the building placed closer to the fields and playgrounds,” Giacoppo noted, but that happens to be on the opposite side from the middle school entrance.
“If and when middle school students use the racks, they have to walk the entire circumference of the building to access their assigned entrance,” Giacoppo said.
The two new Linden bike racks will have space for 14 bikes and will be installed by the middle school entrance on Wescott Street, in proximity to street lights and security cameras for visibility in the early evenings during fall and winter and increased safety.
Grafton Street School has not had adequate bike racks to safely secure bicycles during the school day. Their new bike racks will be in a highly visible, accessible area near the playground.
Memorial Elementary will install their new bike racks in the school's traffic circle, where their current racks are stationed.
With an increase in biking comes an increase of concern for student safety. However, through the grant, schools will also be receiving helmets and bike locks to provide to their students, along with a bike safety assembly hosted by Safer Routes to School.
Community Impact
All school leaders recognize the impact the additional bike parking will have on their school communities. They believe the visibility of the bike racks and education of safe bike practices will encourage students to choose biking for themselves and for their communities.
“We hope [the bike racks] will motivate others to ride to school,” Principal Miller said. He added that the bike racks will give an opportunity for students to start their days on a “healthy note” with some exercise on their way to school.
Giacoppo believes students having more freedom in their commute will support their ability to stay at the school later for additional personal and academic development in attending clubs, sports, and other events not having to depend on rides.
“I would love our entire community to lean into more walking and biking as a means to access their school, playgrounds, fields and events,” Giocoppo reflected.
And as for the bike rack colors?
“Grafton Street green, celebrating our Gators pride,” said Principal Herbert.
Royal Blue is Linden’s choice. Giacoppo excitedly shared that Linden will also be having a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new bike racks.
Safe to say that the 2025-2026 Bike Rack Grant schools have a lot to look forward to, not only for the assemblies and installations in the coming months, but for the future of biking in their communities more broadly.
