Picking the best expansion option for commuters
State and US officials weigh rail, bus routes
By Christine Legere
Globe Correspondent / April 9, 2009
Two rail options and an express bus alternative will be scrutinized by state and federal environmental officials over the next several months, to determine which is the best choice for expanding commuter service southward from Boston to New Bedford and Fall River.
Officials on Monday outlined the scope of their upcoming study, which will be conducted by the office of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The expansion route for South Coast Rail will be identified in a draft environmental impact report to be unveiled around Labor Day, and the final report will be published next spring.
The rail study will consider both diesel and electric power, and is looking at two main options:the Attleboro Alternative, which would run track through Mansfield, Norton, and Taunton; and the Stoughton Alternative, which would extend service along the Stoughton line through Easton, Raynham, and Taunton southward.
Inclusion of the Attleboro Alternative was something of a surprise. This option had not been recommended for further study by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation, because of the estimated cost of more than $2 billion and the expected startup date of about 2020.
The drawbacks include the effect on wetlands, numerous grade crossings in Taunton, and the requirement of a third track running from the Readville section of Boston south, all the way to Attleboro - a stretch of about 20 miles.
But according to South Coast Rail Project Manager Kristina Egan, projected ridership for the option, which was calculated after a list of recommended alternatives was submitted to state environmental officials, was far higher than she expected. So the state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs selected this alternative for further study.
The Stoughton Alternative, which is expected to cost $1.4 billion and begin in 2016, was the final choice in a previous study of rail expansion that concluded in 2002.
The effect on wetlands in the Hockomock Swamp in Easton and the Pine Swamp in Raynham has drawn concern and will be weighed in the coming study. A small change in the plan that would eliminate any impact on the Pine Swamp will be looked at as well.
Easton officials say this option would greatly affect the town's historic district, a well zone, and could delay emergency response. In Stoughton, officials say noise, traffic snarls, and vibration will discourage downtown development. They will be looking for a lowered track through downtown, similar to the one built in Hingham for the Greenbush line.
The so-called rapid bus alternative would run from Fall River and New Bedford to Boston, using dedicated lanes on routes 24, 128, and 93.
Service could begin sometime before the 2016 projected date for the Stoughton Alternative, and it would be the least expensive option, at $500 million. It also would offer the shortest commuting time, at 62 minutes from Boston to Fall River and 68 minutes to New Bedford.
But it does not offer the "smart growth" benefits of rail expansion, which would bring mixed-use development around train stations. Officials in Fall River and New Bedford also oppose this option, saying they prefer the train expansion.
Heather Graf, a Norton resident and founder of the Citizens Concerned About Tracks, said she wasn't happy, but neither was she surprised to see the Attleboro Alternative back on the table. Graf believes it was returned so residents in southeastern Massachusetts will be confident all viable options were thoroughly studied.
"People want to see it proven," Graf said. "They want to see the Attleboro Alternative brought to the same level of study as the Stoughton Alternative."
Graf, who said her group will actively fight the Attleboro Alternative, is confident it will ultimately be eliminated. "It's not just the time it would take to build, it's the cost," Graf said. "It also impacts some critical areas of concern to the north."
Graf said it may be difficult to keep the opposition motivated. "Right now, communities have all they can deal with taking care of budgets and considering overrides," Graf said. "I think a lot of people have the attitude that they're never going to build this expansion anyway."
In Easton, Town Administrator David Colton said officials will be watching the progress of the environmental study closely. "We're just going to keep staying abreast of the situation, keep attending [rail] task force meetings, and commenting where we feel it's appropriate," Colton said. "That's all we can do."
Colton believes the Stoughton Alternative will be the final choice, just as it was in 2002. That time, lack of funding prevented the project from moving forward.
"They're doing a more credible job by having a thorough process this time, but I think the result is going to be the same," Colton said.
Colleen Corona, chairwoman of the Easton Board of Selectmen, said she has the same concerns she voiced during meetings with South Coast Rail officials. "And I have huge concerns about downtown Easton," she said. "I can't imagine the noise implications, with trains coming to a screeching stop and then starting up again."
Meanwhile, the chairman of Middleborough's Board of Selectmen, Patrick Rogers, was relieved to discover that a proposal to expand the rail down through Middleborough was taken off the list for further study.
"From my perspective, I'm very pleased," Rogers said Monday. "I think it would have been detrimental to the downtown." While Middleborough Planner Ruth Geoffroy had argued the rail expansion through town center would help revitalize the downtown, Rogers had disagreed.
"We don't need revitalizing in Middleborough," Rogers said. "When the casino project goes forward, we'll be revitalized. Let the people in the downtown area have some peace and quiet."
Christine Legere can be reached at
christinelegere@yahoo.com.
