Public Comments on Draft Amendment Two to the Long-Range Transportation Plan

Public Comments on Draft Amendment Two to the Long-Range Transportation Plan
AFFILIATION	NAME	PROJECT(S) / ISSUE(S)	REQUEST/ SUPPORT/ OPPOSE	COMMENT
Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, Regional Working Group	Thomas O'Rourke, President and CEO (NVCC), Town Administrators William Friel (Canton), William Keegan (Dedham), Michael Boynton (Walpole), Michael Jaillet (Westwood), and Town Manager John Carroll (Norwood)	Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange (Canton)	Support	Support inclusion of the Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange in Canton in the draft FFYs 2014-17 TIP. The current interchange has proved dangerous and inefficient in handling the traffic volumes resulting in serious traffic congestion during peak travel hours, and the region has suffered years of negative impacts. Crashes have resulted in serious personal injury and fatalities, but also the release of hazardous materials in an area of environmental concern. Traffic congestion has reduced the air quality of the region and impeded the ability of the area communities to effectively compete for economic development. This project is vital in order to address these impacts and benefit the region. The Route 128 Add-a-Lane improvements should relieve some congestion but the full impact of the improvements will not be realized until the interchange is reconstructed.
Town of Westwood, Economic Development Advisory Board	Chris McKeown, Economic Development Officer	Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange (Canton)	Support	Supports inclusion of the Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange in Canton in the draft FFYs 2014-17 TIP. This project is a top priority for the enhancement of economic development in the Neponset Valley Region and the Commonwealth. The initial phase of the project that involves the re-alignment of the Blue Hill Drive/I-95 southbound off-ramp and redesign of the Blue Hill Drive/University Ave. and Canton Street/University Ave. intersections is critical to the timing of the University Station development. The recently approved University Station mixed-use transit-oriented development will create new affordable housing, temporary construction jobs, and permanent employment opportunities. Notes that the project will also improve access to the Route 128 T/Amtrak Station.
Regional Transportation Advisory Council	Steven H. Olanoff, Chair	Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange (Canton)	Support	Supports inclusion of the Reconstruction of the I-93/I-95 Interchange in Canton in the draft FFYs 2014-17 TIP. This project will serve not only the economic development concerns of the municipalities that are immediately adjacent to the interchange, but this project will also improve the movement of people and goods throughout the entire region as a result of reduced traffic congestion. The interchange is currently among the worst bottleneck locations in the region, and measures the worst in both AM and PM peak periods in volume-to-capacity ratio. The project will also go far to correct safety issues for trucks and motorists at the interchange, which ranks in the top five percent crash cluster locations in the Southwest Corridor.
	Daniel A. De Pompei	Bruce Freeman Rail Trail	Oppose	My name is Daniel A. De Pompei. I have been a resident of Sudbury MA for 39 years. I have been a member of the National Rails to Trails Conservancy for 20 years. The following statement is provided in response to the MPO’s request for citizen input for the Draft TIP 2014-2017 and proposed LRTP Amendment for 2013. I do not support the use of transportation funds for design or construction of multi-use trails that have not been validated to reduce automotive traffic in a substantive and measurable way. The proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has not been justified as mitigating traffic congestion. I note with great interest that the majority of comments documented for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail on the current plans are predominately recreational comments and not transportation. The Department of Conservation and Recreation should fund recreation projects not the Department of Transportation. I do not support multi-use trails whose right-of-way passes through, or near, areas of endangered or threatened species habitat, major game trails, wetlands or riparian areas. The proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Right of Way (ROW) passes through several such areas and violates existing conservation and environmental law. I have discussed this issue with the National Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC). The RTC has no policy that requires any rail trail alignment stay entirely within the rail ROW. The currently proposed trail alignment is the result of local advocacy group(s) inappropriate involvement in municipal politics and not the result of meaningful negotiations with all interested parties. There has been no open, measurable justification of the Bruce Freeman rail trail. There has been no effort by the Trail’s advocacy group (or the state) to address or resolve any of the risks associated with the trail and I do not recommend and do not support the use of public funds for the Bruce Freemen Rail Trail. There are simply too many State validated needs for transportation funds that should take priority over the currently proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. I have submitted this same basic set of comments for the past three years and the comments all still apply. I am available for further discussion.