Westport Bike Committee Eyes 2027 Cultural Grant for Artistic Bike Racks

WESTPORT -- March 19, 2026, Westport Bike and Walking Committee targets 2027 Cultural Council grant for artistic bike racks at scenic locations. At its March 19 meeting, Chair Gail Rodericks outlined a plan to apply to the Westport Cultural Council's local grant program, which can reach up to $50,000, to fund roughly half a dozen artist-designed bike racks at community-gathering spots including the Head of Westport and the village area near Lee's Market and Wild Honey. The committee missed the current grant window and confirmed the 2027 February-March cycle as its target, pending completion of a town-wide rack survey and a mapped document from the planning department. Member Megan O'Brien reported identifying two contacts from Illinois's 40-year-old Constitution Trail project, Patrick Dullard of the Friends of Constitution Trail board and Merci Davidson of the Town of Normal, whom she plans to reach out to within two weeks for a lessons-learned discussion. Separately, a Mass Trails feasibility RFP for the Westport-Wetupper off-road connector was set to go live March 23 through SRPEDD, with bids accepted through April 21.