Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Traffic topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police chief: Gillette international match exposed limits of Route 95 and town roads
Summary
Foxboro police told the Select Board that a recent international soccer match at Gillette Stadium (about 63,000 attendees) had no major safety incidents but produced severe weekday traffic gridlock; officials urged expanded mobility, bus packages, and aggressive messaging because local roads and I-95 cannot be widened by the town.
The police chief told the Foxboro Select Board on March 31 that security and multiagency coordination for a recent international soccer match at Gillette Stadium worked well but that traffic overwhelmed local roads and Route 95 during a weekday event.
“The statewide coordination...all of that worked perfectly in regards to the planning of this event,” the chief said, noting federal, state and local partners stood up coordinated operations and that the event produced no arrests, alcohol-related incidents, missing children or assaults. “We had 63,000 people… it was excellent,” the chief said, adding that protective teams, EOD and FAA partners were in place.
Still, the chief described traffic as the main failure point. “95 is undersized and inadequate,” he said, emphasizing that weekday kickoff times that overlap commuter periods create unavoidable congestion on highways and local cut-throughs. He and board members described ride-hailing and unfamiliar drivers flooding side streets and residential neighborhoods and overriding the town’s traffic posts and blocking main connectors such as Mechanic Street and Route 1.
Town officials detailed mitigation steps under way: a mobility plan tied to the World Cup host committee, a signed Yankee Bus contract to run hotel-to-stadium shuttles, designated satellite lots and an emphasis on pre-purchased, bundled bus and parking packages. Officials said FIFA and the host committee will reserve thousands of assigned parking spaces for VIPs and buses and that the town expects up to 210 buses as part of a mobility plan to shift tens of thousands of attendees off private cars.
Board members pressed for clearer public messaging, earlier deployment of traffic posts on local side streets, and coordination with ride-hailing platforms. The chief urged employers and commuters to work remotely when possible on event dates.
The board also heard that the town will continue after-action review and refine parking and mobility plans for forthcoming World Cup dates; federal partners signaled support and promised expedited administrative help tied to security grants and operations.
The Select Board did not take a formal vote on licensing or event limits during this discussion; members said further policy decisions on licensing, event timing and renewals should be considered in the coming weeks as part of permit and renewal reviews.
