Montague Center Complete Streets Project

Current Status:

The contractor mobilized to the site on 9/9/26. Work that has taken place so far includes erosion control, sawcutting, site layout work, and new drainage. Sidewalk paving is expected to largely be completed during the week of 10/5/26. Construction is expected to be substantially complete by mid-October.

Project Summary:

The Town of Montague is currently undergoing roadway safety improvements to the roads surrounding the historic Montague Town Common, including Main, North, and Center Streets.

These efforts are being made in response to numerous concerns expressed to the Town over the past several years regarding speeding through this area, as well as pedestrian and bicyclist safety. With this consideration and recognizing that streets are for everyone, this project aims to take a Complete Streets approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining streets that enables safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. To learn more about Complete Streets, click here.

• Grant Award: In 2025, the Town was awarded a $499,682 MassDOT Complete Streets Tier 3 grant to be used for construction related expenses to implement the Montague Center Complete Streets Project.
• Design: For more information about the development of the design, please see the following links:
  • Town of Montague Complete Streets Policy (adopted in 2017)
  • Montague Complete Streets Prioritization Plan (adopted in 2018)
  • Montague Center Complete Streets - Plan Set (finalized in 2026)
• Public Engagement: Public meetings and opportunities for comment on the design for the current phase were held at various points between 2024 and early 2026, including, but not limited to, the following:
  • September 5, 2024 – Community input session reviewed existing roadway conditions, explored possible design concepts, and sought community feedback to help guide this project. (https://recorder.com/2024/09/08/officials-look-to-curb-speeding-improve-pedestrian-safety-in montague-center-56868300/)
  • September 16, 2024 - the Selectboard reviewed/discussed the proposed design improvements, opened it up for public comment, and recommended the Planning Department to continue advancing the proposed designs in preparation of the MassDOT Complete Streets Tier 3 application submittal.
  • September 30, 2024 - the Selectboard reviewed/discussed the updated design plans, heard public comment, and unanimously voted 3-0 to authorize the Planning Department to submit the MassDOT Complete Streets Tier 3 application.
  • January 5, 2026 - Town staff provided initial review of updated design.
  • January 12, 2026 - The lead design consultant for the project gave a formal public presentation and heard public comments, with nearly 50 community members in attendance. In response to feedback heard during this call, the decision was made to shift one of the two proposed raised crosswalks to be north of the Town Common, instead of the initial design which called for both to be located near the post office, only about 120 feet from each other. (https://recorder.com/2026/01/15/raised-crosswalks-speed-concerns/). A recording of this Information Session may be found at: https://vimeo.com/1153800534 beginning at 24:10.

Project objectives include:

• Slow down vehicular speeds driving through the historic village center of Montague Center
• Provide attractive and safer crosswalks for pedestrians
• Allow safer dedicated bicycle travel in this area.
• Formalize on-street parking areas
• Improve access to bus stop shelters
• Ensure all improvements meet ADA accessibility standards

Questions/Comments:

If you have any questions/comments, please email Chris Nolan-Zeller, Assistant Town Administrator, at chrisn@montague-ma.gov.