Select Board to Take Action on Canton Street Corridor Project, Following Large Turnout at Public Hearing (Updated)

“Canton Street Corridor Project Update” is listed as an action item on Westwood Select Board’s agenda for its meeting on Monday evening, October 23, 2023, when the board holds a remote meeting following an earlier meeting that same day with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Westwood’s Director of Public Works, Todd Korchin, is expected to report on MassDOT’s reaction to the public input hearing on the 25 percent design plan for reconstructing that corridor, held by the state agency late last month at Westwood’s Downey School, where it is estimated that hundreds of people were in attendance.

“It looked like an amazing turnout. I would estimate 400 people. We filled the room. It was so much to capacity that the fire department had to come in to ask people to step outside,” said Westwood resident Gary Yessaillian.

Canton Street resident Shelley Reever told Westwood Minute that she was “elated” at the turnout. She agreed with Mr. Yessaillian’s impression that the turnout was “definitely in the hundreds.” She had expected a large crowd. Ms. Reever, along with dozens of her Canton Street neighbors, have met in what sounds like an organized way to discuss and strategize this issue.

Also in attendance at the public hearing were Representative Paul McMurtry and a representative from State Senator Michael Rush’s office.

At the September 28th
public hearing, a number of residents provided on-the-record statements about the current Canton Street project design. There were statements both for and against the design. The loudest applause followed statements made by those against the current project design.

Julia Irvine, a resident of Canton Street, was one of the first to speak at the hearing. She noted the desire to work with town officials cooperatively, and described a petition in her hand that she said contained over 600 signatures against the current project design.

Currently, much of Canton Street is a long, scenic road that is lined by large, leafy trees. The trees form something like a canopy over parts of the street, and homes are constructed on land where farms used to stand. There are many old stone walls. The road is designated as a scenic way by the state of Massachusetts. Although Canton Street is highly trafficked and is used as a cut-through during peak traffic hours on Route 128, the feeling of Canton Street can at times be likened to driving on a relatively narrow and rural, or even country, road.

If the proposed Canton Street corridor design is implemented, however, the character of Canton Street would be drastically changed. The proposed design treats Canton Street as the “spine” of connected paths for pedestrians and bicyclists. It runs through a Downey School neighborhood, and connects to a network of that neighborhood’s roads. Canton Street leads to University Station at one end, to the East Street rotary at the other end, and provides a connection to nearby Washington Street businesses and the surrounding neighborhood.

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According to Johnathan Rockwell, a member of TEC, the consulting firm hired by the Town of Westwood, the proposed Canton corridor design includes two lanes in opposite directions that are each 14 feet wide. Between the two lanes would be a 6 foot wide, landscaped median. On the west side of Canton Street, a 5.5 foot wide sidewalk would line one lane. On the east side of Canton Street, a 3.5 foot wide buffer zone would line the other lane. Next to that buffer zone would be 10 foot wide shared use path. The path could be used by bicyclists, vehicles coming in and out of residential driveways, and pedestrians.

Ms. Reever, who has lived on Canton Street for 30 years, told MassDOT, “That’s adding a total of 18 to 20 feet to the width of the street, and this would result in hundreds of trees and dozens of stone walls being removed. The project would destroy the scenic character of Canton Street.”

Ms. Reever stated at the hearing her opinion that the shared use path is only being proposed by the town to fulfill a requirement that a bike path must be included to receive state funding. Canton Street is an inappropriate place for a bike path, she says. It would connect “industrial” University Avenue to the East Street rotary at Route 128. “That is not your typical bike path,” she said.

The shared use path by itself is equivalent to one traffic lane, said Mr. Yessaillian, in comments to Westwood Minute in the week following the hearing. “My major concern is that what was positioned as a sidewalk, at first, is now a shared use lane at the expense of scenery, trees, and peoples’ frontage. It was really the massive scale of the project that concerned a lot of people,” he said.

Advocating in support of the project plans, Chris Murphy, a Westwood resident for 8 years who resides near the north end of Canton Street with his wife and two young children, told MassDOT that he favors the improved safety from the project. His statements at the public hearing expressed support for the proposed design's ability to connect pedestrians to destinations like daycare. As a biker, he would like the ability to commute to the Route 128 train station, which he currently can reach only by driving.

A number of supporters echoed Mr. Murphy’s statements. They were also parents of young children and/or active bicyclists or runners. They also were hopeful for the prospect of improved pedestrian safety and the new accommodations for bicyclists that are promised by the proposed project design.

Earlier in the MassDOT public meeting, TEC's Mr. Rockwell had explained the Town of Westwood’s reasoning for initiating the project, noting that pedestrian and bicyclist safety were primary.

The Canton Street project area is described as an area where 10,000 vehicles pass each day, and 75 percent of vehicles exceed posted speed limits. With no sidewalk or dedicated bike lane, there are currently no accommodations for pedestrians or bicyclists. Additionally, aging utility infrastructure underground, including a water main over 100 years of age, needs to be replaced, said Mr. Rockwell.

The project comes with an estimated cost of $20.4 million, excluding right of way acquisition costs, according to MassDOT project manager John Freeman. The $20.4 million would be paid by federal funding covering 80 percent of the cost and state funding covering the remaining 20 percent.

A timeline for going forward was presented by Mr. Rockwell:

- Evaluating feedback and conducting more public outreach is planned to continue through Spring 2024.

- There will be a public input opportunity at a public meeting to present any significant design changes before the 75 percent design submittal, planned for September 2024.

- In Fall 2024 to Winter 2025, there will be further opportunity for public input while environmental permitting will be sought and the Town begins outreach for obtaining rights of way acquisitions.

- From 2025 to 2028, design changes will continue along with finalizing design and obtaining bids for construction.

- Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2028.

Notably, MassDOT project manager John Freeman and Westwood's Director of Public Works Todd Korchin made comments at the public meeting in which they communicated to attendees that no plans are final, yet.

Thanks to Shelley Reever and Gary Yessaillian for speaking with Westwood Minute.

Updated 10/23/2023. A misspelling has been corrected to Gary Yessaillian's name, and additional edits have been added for clarity. References to two "roads" on Canton Street have been changed to two "lanes."

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