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Residents urge Select Board to fund design work for deadly intersections in Foxborough
Summary
At the Feb. 18 Select Board meeting, resident John Mahoney urged the board to fund engineering designs for two high‑crash areas—Route 106 & South Street and the Commercial/140 plaza—so the town can apply for state Complete Streets or TIP construction money; DPW gave preliminary design quotes and the board debated process and funding sources.
John Mahoney, a Foxborough resident, told the Select Board on Feb. 18 that recent crashes and a dual‑fatality at the Route 106 and South Street intersection mean the town should pay for engineering designs now to become eligible for state Complete Streets and TIP construction funds. “What I’m looking for here on both of these items is money for the design on 106 and South Street,” Mahoney said, calling the intersection “deadly” and urging a $100,000 design allocation as the next step toward state funding.
The petition Mahoney presented covers two locations: the Route 106/South Street intersection and the Commercial Street/Route 140 plaza area near the Shell station, Ocean State Job Lot and other high‑traffic businesses. He said the town’s Complete Streets process requires local engineering plans before a municipality can compete for state grants and noted the program allows requests of up to $400,000 for construction once design work is complete.
Chief Grace, citing town crash data, told the board the Commercial/140 area has become a higher priority in MassDOT’s online crash compilations and that MassDOT indicated it would pursue short‑term striping and turning‑lane fixes once weather allows. “We historically average about 39 accidents from Forbes Boulevard all the way down to Central Street a year,” the chief said, adding most were property‑damage crashes but some involved injuries.
DPW Director Chris Gallagher reported that his office engaged an engineering firm to assess the intersections. Gallagher said the firm quoted roughly $180,000 to design the Route 106/South Street intersection and about $325,000 to produce a full design for the Commercial/Central Street area that could be submitted for future state funding. He recommended finishing a Tec assessment on 106 before committing to larger design fees and said the final assessment should arrive in about six to eight weeks.
Board members debated whether to advance a citizen petition to Town Meeting seeking design funding now or to have the DPW finalize recommendations and request funds through the town’s CIP and budget process. Supporters of the petition said a Town Meeting article would move the work forward and help the town compete for state funds; opponents said the petition risks bypassing DPW prioritization and might lock the town into projects without a full review. Several members also noted budget limits and competing priorities, with one member pointing out free cash was roughly $8 million but cautioning that many large projects are already queued.
The discussion also touched on Maple Avenue and other Complete Streets projects. Officials said Maple Avenue is high on the town’s 2019 Complete Streets list and estimated replacing its sidewalks at roughly $755,000; members discussed whether future development of the Foxborough Company property could offset some costs.
What happens next: DPW will complete the Tec assessment for Route 106 and South Street in an estimated six to eight weeks. Board members indicated they prefer to see the final technical recommendation from DPW before committing large design dollars, though supporters of the petition said they will pursue a Town Meeting article if timely funding is not forthcoming.
