Letter to the Editor: Senator Timilty Opposes Rail Expansion to Foxboro

Editor's note: The following was submitted by the Office of Senator James Timilty.

Dear editor and residents of Medfield:

Recent public dialogue has centered on the topic of . Earlier this year, Mirick O’Connell, a private law firm representing many New England private and public corporations, commissioned a study conducted by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. to evaluate the feasibility of expanding rail transit to the southwest region of the I-495 corridor. 

The findings of the study were made public in September and included a proposal to expand and upgrade the Framingham Secondary Line to bring service to Foxborough from Boston by way of Medfield. Their end goal, on behalf of their undisclosed client, is to submit a formal proposal to the MBTA with the long-term vision of increasing economic development in the region.

Without question, I wish to affirm my unwavering opposition to any commuter rail expansion that seeks to disrupt the character and neighborhoods in the communities I represent.

My principal concern has been the direct impact expansion will have on the people in my district. As the State Senator representing Medfield, I will not tolerate a reduction in quality of life for abutting neighbors and I will remain vigilant and steadfast in my defense of their interests.

Further, in the interests of good government, I have serious concerns about the MBTA’s existing financial limitations, never mind its capacity to pursue expansion. By any measurable standards, the MBTA is already underperforming, with an estimated $161 million budget gap for the next fiscal year. Please know that as the Patrick administration looks at alternatives to close the gap, I am vehemently opposed to any fare hikes or gas tax increases.

Quite frankly, I find any proposal deviating from addressing current performance standards to be negligent of fiscal realities and a gross misuse of public funds.

Finally, I find myself at odds with the lack of criteria met necessary to implement public policy. Absent from the pages of the operations study are traffic impact reports, environmental studies, sound and light studies, merely months before the pilot program is slated to begin.

For these reasons, I oppose Mirick O’Connell’s commuter rail proposal and any other proposal that would put economic development before the interests of the people in my district.

I encourage all Medfield residents with questions or concerns to contact me directly at (617) 722-1222. For a draft of the I-495 Southwest Regional Commuter Rail and Operations Study, please visit www.modl.com/.

Thank you for your attention to these comments and for the opportunity to serve Medfield in the Massachusetts Senate. 

With every good wish,

Senator Jim Timilty
(Bristol and Norfolk)