PARTNERSHIP UPDATE

October 2012

An update from the 495/MetroWest Partnership, the regional economic development council serving thirty-three communities in the state's economic engine, 495/MetroWest.

www.495partnership.org

Potential Improvements to I-495/Route 9, I-495/Mass Pike interchanges and part of Rt.9     under consideration

Due to Hurricane Sandy, the briefing that the Partnership was hosting on October 30 on potential improvements to the I-495/Route 9 and I-495/Massachusetts Turnpike interchanges, as well as part of Route 9, was held on Friday, November 2nd.

If you have a perspective on either of these interchanges or Route 9 between Westborough and Soutborough, you should review the powerpoint presentation detailing recommended improvements, availalble for download here.

If you have specific questions about the potential improvements under discussion, please feel free to contact the Partnership Executive Director Paul Matthews, [email protected].

MassDOT is accepting comments on this presentation and the preliminary findings until November 16th, and should be emailed to MassDOT's Project Manager, Callida Cenizal, at [email protected] .

This project came about due to the leadership of Congressman James P. McGovern, who worked with the Partnership to secure federal funding for this planning, design, and engineering study of the I-495/Rt. 9 interchange to identify key improvements to relieve congestion.  After a state match, the scope was expanded to include the I-495 / Mass Turnpike interchange as well.  Additional background is online here,

Green Communities Forum

On October 19th, the Partnership's Energy and Sustainable Development Committee held a joint forum with the MA Association of Planning Directors on the Green Communities program.

This program would not have been possible without the support of Angus Jennings and Tom Bott from MAPD, as well as our speakers:

  • Joanne Bissetta, the Northeast Regional Coordinator of the Green Communities Program;
  • Gino Carlucci, the town planner for Sherborn;
  • John Mosher, a Selectman and former Chair of the Sustainabilty Committee in Hopkinton.
Joanne's presentation is online here, and Gino's is online here.  More information on the state's Green Communities program can be found online here.

This forum was part of the Partnership resuming our Institute for Local Issues program, to make clear our organizational focus on holding such dialogues with state and national policymakers so that our region can have a stronger voice on development initiatives and infrastructure investments.  At our founding, these forums were branded as the Institute for Local Issues , but in recent years have been conducted by our program committees.  To expand and imporove upon these events and make clear that these forums are open to all in the region, we're going to again call them our Institute for Local Issues to provide regional leaders with ongoing opportunities to directly interact with policymakers, learn about new programs, and provde regional perspective.

Upcoming Institute for Local Issues Forums

In coming weeks, the Partnership will continue these forums for regional leaders, including:

On Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 8:30am, our Water Resources Committee with a presentation by the Charles River Watershed Association on their work with Littleon developing their Smart Sewering report.  CRWA's Executive Director Bob Zimmerman will be presenting their report; the report text and further background are available for download here.  In addition, Littleton's Town Administrator, Keith Bergman, will be providing a municipal perspective on the initiative; further information on Littleton's work is available for download here.

On Dec. 12th at 8:30am, our Energy and Sustainable Development Committee with a presentation by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's CEO and Executive Director Alicia Barton McDevitt.   The Clean Energy Center is dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth, while creating high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts, and works with companies and municipalities on these issues.  Ms. McDevitt will be discussing their ongoing intiatives, as well as the recent 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, which shows there are now 71,523 employees working in clean energy throughout the Commonwealth, up 11.2% from 2011.
Since space is limited, please register for these forums by emailing [email protected]

Transportation Update

The Partnership has continued its advocacy on the 495/MetroWest region's transportation needs, both on a statewide level and within the region.

Thanks to Deputy Director Jessica Strunkin's hard work, there is a summary of the recent transportation bond bill that was signed into law by the Governor; it is availalbe for dowload here.

As a result of the Partnership's longstanding leadership on transportation issues and infrastructure investment, Executive Director Paul Matthews was invited to be part of a philanthropically funded delegation to St. Louis to examine their transportation finance mechanisms. Other participants included the new General Manager of the MBTA, MassDOT staff, the A Better City organization, the Conservation Law Foundation, the RTA Association, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Transportation For Massachusets, Northeastern University's Dukakis Center, the Boston Foundation, and an host of others.  During the discussions, Matthews stressed the importance of building on the current state focus on transparency, credibility, and regional equity, while adequately funding both regional transit and infrastructure.

Director Matthews made simliar points earlier in the month at a recent public meeting by MassDOT to solicit feedback on shaping our transportation system in the future. MassDOT is holding another such public meeting in Framingham on Wednesday, November 14 from 608pm in Nevins Hall at 150 Concord St. in Framingham.  Please take the time to attend and share your perspective on these important issues; more information is online here.

WELCOME TO

NEW PARTNERSHIP INVESTOR:

Massachusetts Bay Community College

Lt. Governor Murray Announces $8 Million in Improvements for Downtown Framingham

 

Partnership Executive Director Paul Matthews gestures with Lt. Governor Murray's recent progress report on rail, with (from left to right) State Representative Tom Sannicandro, Lt. Governor Murray, MetroWest Chamber CEO Bonnie Biocchi, Senator Karen Spilka, Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey, and (obscured) State Representative Chris Walsh.

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray announced $8 million in funding from MassDOT to mitigate chronic traffic congestion at the intersections of Route 126 and Route 135 in downtown Framingham. Lieutenant Governor Murray also announced an additional $350,000 in funding awarded by MassDOT to support a study that will evaluate four potential solutions identified by previous studies and help the state and Town of Framingham move towards a long-term solution for addressing traffic at this critical intersection in Framingham’s downtown district.

“The intersection of Routes 126 and 135, or Concord Street and Waverly Street, have experienced significant delays for vehicles and pedestrian traffic for decades,” said Lieutenant Governor Murray. “Despite planning reports and studies over the years, a viable solution has not been addressed. However, our Administration has stayed at the table in working with local officials to be proactive and this funding will provide much needed relief for downtown commuters, residents, and businesses.”

The $8 million in funding will be incorporated into the existing project to upgrade Route 126 between Lincoln Street and Irving Street, currently in the design phase. Upon completion of this project, MassDOT will observe traffic conditions in the corridor and report back on the change in congestion and queuing with the new designs.  Infrastructure improvements to remediate traffic at this intersection will include upgrades to the existing signal equipment, installation of improved crosswalks and ADA ramps, installation of more advanced train pre-emption systems, upgraded traffic signal plans and/or the use of Adaptive Signal Control. To assist in the evaluation of corridor improvements, MassDOT is currently drafting a Road Safety Audit along the Route 126 corridor.

"I am very pleased that these short-term solutions to the at-grade crossing issue are moving forward immediately to improve our public safety, economic prosperity, and quality of life,” said State Senator Karen Spilka. “The intersection of the Railroad, Route 126 and Route 135 in the heart of downtown Framingham has been a bottleneck since the advent of the automobile,” said State Representative Chris Walsh. “Downtown Framingham is critical to economic growth in the region,” said State Representative Tom Sannicandro.

As a result of the Commonwealth’s agreement with CSX, including ownership and control of the tracks along the Framingham/Worcester line, railroad gate down times in Framingham have already reduced from approximately 21 minutes to approximately 11.5 minutes in the AM peak hour, and down from approximately 9.5 minutes to 6.5 minutes in the evening PM hour.  "While the CSX transaction has already brought real benefits to downtown Framingham, this state funding will bring further improvements to our traffic flow and is much appreciated," said Paul Matthews, Executive Director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership.

For more information on this announcement, go online here.

Jobs Commission's Report Released

Jobs Commission Co-Chair Senator Karen Spilka and other members at the report's release

On October 3rd, the state's Jobs Commission released their report on how the Commonwealth can best mitigate barriers to job creation, leverage the strengths of the state economy, and better align the needs of employers with the available workforce.

In developing this report, the Commission members represented a wide range of economic leaders, met monthly for the last year and a half, conducted a regional hearing tour - including in 495/MetroWest - and formed three subcommittees on inventory, demand, and supply. To create jobs, the Commission outlined a number of tactics, including:

  • Continuing reforms to lower business costs and regulatory burdens;
  • Creating a preference in government purchasing for MA based goods;
  • Addressing regional disparities to employment by targeting incentives and economic development efforts to address regional needs;
  • Investing in the constuction and maintenance of public infrastructure;
  • Conducting a job vacancy survey annually to provide data to education and workforce training institutions;
  • Creating a supported internship program for unemployed job seekers;
  • Addressing potential barriers to employment among job seekers experiencing bias related to age, disability, court activity records, or military experience;
  • Recapalizing the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund;
  • Increasing collaborations among business, education, and workforce agencies to ensure alignment between programs, jobs, and employers.

Senator Spilka pointed out "We must remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting our economy, our business community, and our workforce. This report is a truly bi-partisan, collaborative effort between the public and private sectors and I look forward to continuing this partnership as we take active steps to implement our recommendations to ensure long-term economic growth and job creation throughout the Commonwealth."

Senator Richard Ross said "I am so pleased with the work that this Commission has done to stimulate job creation, and in turn, promote economic growth in the Commonwealth.  This report is an excellent start to laying the foundation for a solution, but of course there is still work to be done.  As we continue to struggle with high unemployment rates, it is our responsibility as a Legislature to do all we can to facilitate increased economic opportunities throughout Massachusetts."

The Jobs Commission report is online here.

Partnership Advocacy on behalf of 495/MetroWest

The Partnership has spoken out on behalf of our communities and employers through:

  • Supporting Massachusetts Bay Community College's leadership in securing state resources to locate in downtown Framingham;
  • Meeting with Transportation for Massachusetts to stress the need for road infrastructure and transit investments outside Boston;
  • Participating in the Transportation for America State House briefing on the new federal transportation law;
  • Working with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority and the Worcester Regional Transit Authority on potential service connections;
  • Serving on the Study Advisory Group for the I-495/Route 9 Interchange Improvement Project;
  • Supporting Lietenant Governor Timothy Murray's leadership and MassDOT's resources in continuing to address Framingham's Downtown Rail Crossing;
  • Testifying at MassDOT"s public meeting on our transportation system;
  • Participating in statewide discussions on transportation financing, both through attending forums in Massachusetts and serving on the philanthropically funded delegation to St. Louis;
  • Serving on MassEcon's Location Support Committee;
  • Attending the Central Massachusetts Skills Gap briefing by the Commonwealth Corporation.

Thanks to our Bronze Investors:

Avidia Bank

Beals+Thomas

Building Initiatives LLC

Capaccio Environmental Engineering

Capital Group Properties

Clarke Distribution Corp.

Comcast Corp.

Community Newspaper Co.

Green International Affiliates, Inc.

GZA GeoEnvironmental

The Gutierrez Company

HNTB

J.M. Coull Inc.

Serlin Haley LLP

Kleinfelder / SEA Consultants

MA Bay Community College

Marlborough Hospital

MetroWest Regional Transit Authority

Milford Regional Medical Ctr.

Mirick O'Connell

National Development

Patridge Snow & Hahn, LLP

Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, LLC

Small Water Systems Services, LLC

St. Mary's Credit Union

Woodard & Curran

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Verizon

Special thanks to our state legislators for securing state funding for regional economic development, and the Office of Business Development for their support.

Special Thanks to Our Platinum Investors:

Bose Corp.                    Bowditch & Dewey LLP

Carruth Capital LLC                               IBM

Special Thanks to Our Gold Investors:

Cisco Systems           Fidelity Investments

Day Pitney LLP                        Genzyme Corp.

EMC Corp.                                          NSTAR

Special Thanks to Our Silver Investors:

Alexander, Aronson, Finning, & Co. PC

Fallon Community Health Plan  

Framingham State University    

Middlesex Savings Bank

NAIOP Massachusetts              Patriot Place

Sam Park & Co. Ltd.

Staples                                          Sunovion

   TJX Companies         TransAction Associates

495/MetroWest Partnership

Private Sector CoChair                                 Rob Nagi, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin

Public Sector CoChair                                  Glenn Trindade, Town of Medway

Private Sector ViceChair                             Scott Weiss, The Gutierrez Company

Public Sector ViceChair                               Joseph Nolan, Town of Wayland

Treasurer                                                         Marc Verreault, Carruth Capital

Clerk                                                                 Peter Martin, Bowditch & Dewey

Paul Matthews, Executive Director

Jessica Strunkin, Deputy Director for Public Policy and Public Affairs