PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A $235,000 boost from the state will fund "road diet" improvements on West Street, a corridor that saw two pedestrian fatalities last year.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation on Monday announced $6.5 million in funding through the Healey-Driscoll administration's Shared Streets and Spaces Program. Pittsfield was the only Berkshire County community in the list of 28 municipalities and two Regional Transit Authorities.

The $235,000 will go toward continued safety efforts on West Street, which includes a "road diet" from Valentine Road to the Government Drive/College Way split, ADA-compliant curb ramps, separated bike lanes, pavement markings, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons.

Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained that the funding will go toward green bike lane paint and the beacons, which cost about $180,000 alone.

The beacons are placed on both sides of a crosswalk below the pedestrian crossing sign and above the diagonal downward arrow plaque, pointing at the crossing. There will be six total that accompany raised crosswalks, with two placed at three locations:

• The mid-block between Dewey Avenue and College Way
• West of the Eversource driveway
• East of Euclid Avenue

These have been compared to a similar design on Tyler Street meant to slow traffic.

"If you've driven Tyler Street and you kind of check your speedometer if you're going 30 miles an hour, you're not going to bite your tongue off," City Engineer Tyler Shedd said during a public hearing last month.

"If you're going 20, 25 miles an hour you might not really notice the bump. If you're going 40, you'll feel it and that's sort of the intent is that it encourages people through a slightly punitive measure to follow the speed limit."

Last year, the city began having public hearings to devise a pedestrian safety plan in the corridor. In January 2023, Shaloon Milord was struck and killed while crossing in front of Dorothy Amos Park, and in October 2023, Shane Cassavant was struck and killed farther up the street while doing roadwork.