Residents push back against Rt. 30 plan

With concerns about the environment, bicycle and pedestrian safety, future maintenance costs and a project they say has bloated far beyond its original vision, residents tore into the Route 30 reconstruction project proposal during two listening sessions held this week.

Those concerns and more – including several questions on whether to pull the plug on the project – were aired by residents the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee listening sessions for the proposed $18.5 million plan. The project is a 3.7-mile reconstruction of the road from the Natick town line to the intersection of Cutters Bluff Road that will widen the driving surface, create a 10-foot shared-use path, improve pedestrian crossings, update drainage and make connections to other sidewalks and paths along the route.

The sessions, held on May 14 and 19, were intended to gather feedback on engineering firm Howard Stein Hudson’s (HSH) draft 75% design for the project. A majority of feedback opposed the project, which was approved by Town Meeting in 2024.

The original 2018 proposal, a $938,000 appropriation requested approved by Town Meeting in a 563-35 vote, included a 5-foot-wide sidewalk along the entire corridor. An additional $600,000 request was brought forward at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting to advance the design, but the design had been changed to include the shared-use path, or buffered bicycle lanes, as required by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s “Healthy Design Standards” to keep the project on the state- and federal-funded Transportation Improvement Plan, according to language on the warrant.

Conflict of interest concerns swirl around Route 30 project

“When we had those town meetings, everybody wanted sidewalks,” resident Barbara Fullerton said at May 14’s session. “I think sidewalks implies a 3-foot-wide or 4-foot-wide space where you can walk and maybe bike, but not a 10-foot-wide or 15-foot-wide space that is going to disrupt the front of your house.”

The 2024 appropriation was approved by a 285-203 margin.

To remain eligible for state funding, Mark Gravallese, a principal and manager of public infrastructure with HSH, said Weston must adhere to MassDOT’s guidelines, otherwise the state will allocate the money elsewhere.

“This town asked for state funding and there are caveats that come with state funding … Ultimately, it’s up to the town, and if the town does not want to advance the project, the state will take the money and gladly give it to other municipalities,” Gravallese said on May 19. “The state doesn’t have an agenda to build this project whether you want it or not. They were asked by the town to help fund the project and they said yes.”

Bridget Myers, an associate principal and manager of roadway design with HSH, explained MassDOT “guidelines evolved” during the design process, and those new requirements need separated bicycle facilities for roads with 10,000 or more vehicles per day or speeds at 40 mph and greater, “which is this roadway.” She added the current design intends to improve bicyclist safety, attract a broader population of riders, serve pedestrians and improve connectivity across town.

“It is also context-sensitive design, which is important for this community,” Myers said. “Of all the options, it was the narrowest pavement width, it had the least amount of additional pavement markings in the roadway, greater separation from roadway travel lanes and a narrower footprint of the options to minimize impacts.”

Other aspects of the project include slight adjustments to several intersections to improve safety, such as at Oak Street; new crossings at several points and the removal of 360 trees. Of those trees, 252 are considered in “fair” condition or better, and they will be replaced with a one-to-one ratio. Other plantings include shrubs, perennials and ground cover.

Select Board member Lise Revers, who recused herself from any decision-making on the project, said she was deeply concerned about the environmental impacts of “replacing 20 feet of mature vegetation” with asphalt, noting that she believes the “enormous” carbon footprint is going to “outweigh any benefits we get.”

“I don’t think the town envisioned that this was going to be a wholesale decimation of the south side of Route 30,” Revers said on May 14. “I’m astounded that the town, that this committee, would be in favor of this project given what they’ve seen.”

Other residents said the project threatens Weston’s rural character.

“I believe this to be one of the most destructive and costly projects that we can inflict upon ourselves and our town with tremendous environmental costs and destruction,” Jeanne Ackman said. “We moved to Weston, not to Newton on purpose, many of us. We like its rural feel. This would instantly change the look and feel of our town by doing such a big project.”

Several residents said they were happy to see the project’s current design, as it provided opportunities for health benefits for people walking and biking, as well as the potential to reduce vehicle traffic in Weston.

“The current condition of the roadway now is unacceptable … I think the benefits of this project far, far outweigh any impacts,” David Loutzenheiser, a member of the Sustainability Committee, said. “Everyone’s concerned about their own property and I understand that, but the bigger picture is this will create a safer space, and there are kids going to school and they are going to use this.”

The Traffic and Sidewalk Committee is expected to make further recommendations to HSH and make a recommendation to the Select Board, which will then decide how it will approach MassDOT with the proposal, according to committee members Ann Wiedie and Richard Flynn.

“This committee is here to get all the public comments, organize them, distill them and pass them onto the Select Board. The Select Board can decide whether or not this is what they want to do in town,” Flynn said. “The reality is Route 30 has a lot of challenges … We have a lot on our plates.”

More information on the Route 30 reconstruction project can be found on the town website. A recording of the first meeting was posted on Weston Media Center’s website.