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Town planner urges quick revision of Complete Streets policy to unlock MassDOT funding
Summary
Boxborough’s town planner presented a history of the town’s Complete Streets work and urged revisions to the policy’s implementation section so the town can apply for MassDOT construction grants (up to $1 million per cycle). Residents backing Liberty Square Road improvements offered local safety reports and survey numbers.
Alec Wade, Boxborough’s town planner, told the Select Board he intends to return in two weeks with proposed edits to the town’s Complete Streets policy to remove a procedural barrier that currently prevents the town from applying for MassDOT construction funds.
Wade outlined the state program and described local examples of multimodal improvements, then said the town’s existing policy requires a Complete Streets Committee and a traffic safety committee that no longer exist. “This policy is the only thing standing in the way,” Wade said, urging the board to revise Section 6 of the policy so Boxborough can compete for construction grants.
Residents pressed the case for Liberty Square Road. Jeff Hoffman, who said he lives on the corridor, described cars “flying 60 miles an hour down the road,” tight corners that make bicycling unsafe, and neighborhood support; he said roughly 120 households responded to an interest survey and most back improvements. Former committee chair Abby Reap said the old prioritization list placed Liberty Square lower on the original list but that MassDOT allows communities to submit projects out of order if they will score well.
Board members and staff discussed two near-term options Wade is weighing: (1) submit a MassDOT application for the current cycle (the planner noted an August application deadline) or (2) pursue smaller planning grants to fund design and engineering while preparing a stronger construction application later. Several members favored delegating day-to-day management to staff or existing departments while reserving authorization to make an application to the Select Board.
Wade said he will post a marked-up draft of the policy for the board and public to review and return with a formal recommendation at the next meeting.
