Letter: How to Fund a Safer Fort River Elementary School Intersection
Traffic backups are common at the Fort River Elementary School intersection. Photo: Jeremy Andersen
The following letter was sent to candidates for Amherst Town Council on October 29, 2025.
I wanted to share this photo I took this morning on my way to work when I passed the Fort River Elementary School during drop off hours. Imagine this intersection next year when twice as many parents are driving their kids to school!
Previously, I had submitted ideas for consideration by the Town Council for making this section of South East Street safer and more welcoming for bikers, pedestrians, rollers, and for buses by incorporating protected bike lanes, ADA compliant sidewalks, and a one-way traffic flow
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with our Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Coordinator Judy Crocker, and she said the state has millions of dollars available in grants for communities like Amherst, but that unfortunately, at this time, Amherst is ineligible for any of that money because we have not submitted a Complete Streets Level 2 Priority Plan and have not adopted a Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Plan.
In a time when we’re all feeling incredible financial pressure, and the Town Council is looking for creative ways to fund road repairs, it seems a shame that the town is missing out on state (and federal funding) that could make the roads leading to our schools and our community safer. Please, prioritize submission of a Complete Streets Level 2 Priority Plan and adopting the Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Plan so that we can make our roads safer and address our environmental justice goals without new additional taxes on Amherst’s families.