Town Officials Make Pitch To MBTA Board For Foxborough Commuter Rail Pilot

BOSTON, MA — There’s no decision yet on whether the proposed Foxborough Commuter Rail pilot program will go forward, but after Monday, it’s clear who is in support and who is against the project.

Fair or unfair, Monday’s MBTA Fiscal Management Control Board meeting turned into a battle of suburban vs. urban when it came to the Foxborough project. While Foxborough town officials, elected officials, representatives of local business groups, and the 900 people who signed an online petition were for the expansion, several from Walpole and along the Fairmount Line called for the board to either table or deny the pilot.

Foxborough officials are hoping the board will approve an 11-month pilot program that will provide train service from the Gillette Stadium platform to South Station in Boston by way of the Fairmount Line. The line would see the use of eight trains from the Fairmount Line and a ninth from the Franklin Line. Residents from Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Dorchester, the Boston neighborhoods the line runs through, said the current proposal does not benefit those who use the line and already have some of the longest commute times for Boston residents.

The Go Boston 2030 Vision and Action Plan calls for an increase in the frequency of service and better payment systems, and then introduce new rail cars to create a rapid transit line, something that the Foxborough project does not address.

“It’s a shame that we have come to this day, after all these years, we have people who want to ride off our backs," Marilyn Forman, a member of the Fairmount Indigo Transit Coalition said. "I think that we are asking for a postponement. This land was made for you and me and more conversations at the table should happen to discuss something that makes everyone happy."

State Rep. Evandro Carvalho (D), said he was not against Foxborough gaining rail service but did not want it to be at the detriment of his community and the promise that the line would be rapid transit.

"We can make it a rapid transit. Now you just want to extend it without addressing the current situation," he said. "I really do think we need to focus on what we can do to make it work as is."

Those concerned about the project also addressed the issue of reliability and possibility that trains could get stuck on the single-track, causing delays further up the line.

Foxborough Town Planner Paige Duncan said they have had contact with the Fairmount coalition while Town Manager Bill Keegan said the Foxborough plan would enhance the line by providing transportation to economic opportunities.

Supporters of the pilot largely spoke of the economic component of the project. Schneider Electric, Foxborough’s second largest employer, has backed the project due to expected retirements and the need to replace those workers with millennials who prefer to take public transportation. Patriot Place GM Brian Early also spoke in support of the pilot.

"We all know that the future employees that are going to be working are the millennials we are trying to hire. They are choosing not to drive and we are finding it very challenging to fill well paying $20 an hour jobs. If we don’t have the infrastructure to do this, we are going to fail," Early said.

The Route 1 area near the stadium has also been cited as a possible area for growth, with officials for the project touting the possibility of businesses coming to the area if there is public transportation.

State Rep. Jay Barrows (R) touched on the parking crunch in the area, noting that the lots at nearby stations in Mansfield, Sharon, Norfolk, and Walpole are consistently near or at capacity.

Walpole Town Administrator Jim Johnson, whose town has largely opposed the project due to the use of tracks behind about 30 Walpole homes, said he wanted mitigation if the project moves forward, including a sound wall and fencing for the abutters, improved crossings, and a stipulation that the trains can only go 20 mph by the homes.

The Kraft Group will provide 500 parking spaces with a rate of $4 a day for the pilot, with all the revenue going toward the MBTA. The total operating cost for the pilot is tabbed at $1.2 million, with the net cost at $524,000 after taking parking and fare revenue and a private contribution from the Kraft Group into consideration, according to the MBTA.

In response to fears that the train could be full by the time it hits the Boston neighborhoods, David Mohler of MassDOT said he does not expect capacity on the train to exceed 79 percent.

“We will have seats available unless we go way beyond our projections,” he said.

A study by MassDOT concluded that the pilot will result in 150 daily riders boarding at Foxborough, 160 new riders, and 210 existing riders who are projected to divert where they board the train.

Anticipated air quality benefits includes 10,500 fewer vehicle miles traveled, 12,449 fewer kilograms of carbon dioxide, 59 fewer kilograms of carbon monoxide, 1 kg few volatile organic compounds, and 2 kilograms fewer of nitrogen dioxide.

A vote from the FMCB is expected at their Aug. 14 meeting. If they approve the plot, a year will be dedicated to developing a plan and continuing the necessary track updates, with service beginning in late 2018 or early 2019.

Image: File Photo