Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the MCI Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board backs grade-separated Route 2 design, flags access and bike-ped safety in MCI master plan
Summary
At the Chair's Breakfast, the Select Board said it supports a grade-separated design for the Route 2 rotary, requested a curb cut to serve the MCI site and public-works access, and described refinements to the MCI master plan including additional entrances and traffic modeling that estimated about 871 peak trips.
The Select Board’s chair opened the Chair’s Breakfast by saying the board has sent a letter to MassDOT backing a grade-separated design for the Route 2 rotary and asking for a Route 2 curb cut to provide access to the MCI property and a public-works site. "We have also asked for a Route 2 curb cut to support the MCI property," the chair said.
The chair described refinements to the MCI illustrative plan: an additional entrance north of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, relocation of some recreation areas closer to Juro Park, and circulation changes intended to improve connectivity. On traffic, the chair reported consultants used industry-standard metrics and maximum-development scenarios and said "expected that about 871 trips would be the max," adding that Commonwealth Ave could support that volume without adding a lane.
Board members emphasized that their support for a design will be contingent on specific safety improvements. The chair said the board sought an improved bike- and pedestrian-safety treatment at the Baker Ave–Elm St intersection and made its Route 2 endorsement conditional on such changes. The board noted a public meeting on the MCI site is scheduled for Sept. 9 at the high school from 6 to 8 p.m. to review feedback and revised illustrations.
Next steps include consultant presentations to the Select Board and further public engagement; the chair encouraged residents to review the master-plan presentation online and attend meetings to comment.
