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State's plans
for rail service could increase trains, impact environment
By Mike Berger
Citizen Staff
The state
transportation department is studying several alternatives to
providing rail service between Stoughton and southeastern
Massachusetts, and two of the alternatives could have some
long-term implications for the town of Canton.
Kristine
Egan, manager of the Southeast Coastal Railway, presented a
preliminary review of both options at Tuesday night’s Board of
Selectmen meeting, and selectmen, who felt ignored when they met
with transportation officials to protest the Westwood Station
project, were not enthusiastic about either one.
One
alternative is to build a new rail line between Canton and
Attleboro, which connects to Canton Junction and Readville and
would have environmental impacts to Fowl Meadow and the
Ponkapoag area. Another is to build additional track lines
between Canton Center and Stoughton, through the Hockomock Swamp
to Raynham. In either case, it would increase the amount of
trains through Canton Center and Canton Junction.
Other
proposed alternatives include connecting Stoughton to Middleboro
and New Bedford through a new rail line, and creating an HOV bus
lane from Rte. 495 to 24, to Rte. 128 and 93 North.
State
Representative Bill Galvin, who attended Tuesday night’s
meeting, said creating a new line from Stoughton to southeastern
Mass has been talked about for many years in the state
legislature, but it will be up to the transportation department
and Governor Deval Patrick to come up with a plan to pay for it
— at an estimated cost of $1 billion.
Selectman
Victor Del Vecchio raised the issue of land takings,
particularly if the state goes through with an Attleboro line,
and he questioned the impact to property owners living on
Chapman Street, Culloden Drive, and Dedham Street. Del Vecchio,
himself a passenger on a commuter train that was hit by a
runaway freight car in March, also questioned the state’s plans
for preventing future accidents and further traffic volume to
Canton.
Egan was not
prepared for Del Vecchio’s questions, but said early indications
point to three additional trains to Stoughton and six to
Attleboro during peak times. She did not know if there would be
additional trains on weekends and holidays.
Selectmen
Chairman John Connolly expressed concern about the possibility
of added freight train traffic. Egan acknowledged that it could
increase, but added that the state is trying to purchase the
land in order to control freight traffic.
Egan said
the transportation department will narrow down its decision in
the fall, and then file federal, state and local environmental
reviews. She also said she was certain that the Canton Center
station, which five years ago was on the drawing boards for
potential closure, remains an integral part of the area railroad
transit plan.
In other
news:
Selectman
Sal Salvatori announced that the town has come to terms on an
easement agreement with the Vinios family, owners of the
Walgreen’s Plaza, which will allow for the construction of a
park and beautification of the entrance to the plaza from
Washington Street. Salvatori said construction could begin in
about six weeks, and said the entrance will be the “cornerstone
of the downtown beautification project and the closest thing we
will have to a town common.”
Selectmen
also announced that paving of Route 138 from Dan Road to
Randolph Street will begin sometime this summer, hopefully at
night, and that the new fee for residential leaf and yard waste
at the former Pine Street landfill will increase from $1 to $10,
effective July 1.
Selectmen
will next meet Tuesday, June 10, as the board begins its summer
schedule of meeting every other week between now and Labor Day.
May 29, 2008
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