PLAISTOW
– A site off Main Street
on Joanne Drive
is the preferred site for a commuter rail station and layover facility for the
extension of MBTA service into Plaistow.
That
potential site was officially presented during a public information session on
the commuter rail study Tuesday night.
Over
the next several months, the study will move into the environmental assessment
phase, with an environmental assessment report expected to be completed and
presented to the town by the end of April. That report will document potential
environmental impacts of the Joanne
Drive site versus not building a commuter rail
station and layover facility at all, according to John Weston of HDR
Engineering, the firm preparing the reports.
Although
the commuter rail study is nearing completion, it will still be a long and
difficult journey before the Haverhill
commuter rail line could be running across the state line.
“With
the completed report, it is my understanding that the Plaistow Board of
Selectmen will present the report to other town boards for review and to
provide feedback to them,” said Weston. “If the selectmen find (the commuter
rail plan) beneficial to the community, then they will bring it to the town for
a vote.”
Weston
said no plan would move forward without the support of the town.
Even
if the plan clears those hurdles, Weston said it would take a minimum of four
to five years to complete. Trains will
be rolling by 2020 at the earliest, he said.
The
town election on March 10 will guage how much support there is among residents
for a commuter rail station and layover facility in Plaistow. A citizens' group against the project has put
forward a petition article asking voters if they support a station in town.
James
Peck, one of the organizers of Citizens Against a Train Layover Yard in
Plaistow, said he is hoping there is a heavy turnout at town election voicing displeasure with the
plan.
There
also will be a reconfigured Board of Selectmen following the March 10 election,
as three candidates are looking to fill two open seats on the board.
Two
of those candidates, Tammy Bergeron and Julian Kiszka, have signed a pledge
against the layover facility in town. The third candidate, Jim Wentworth, said
he does not believe in signing a pledge, but has raised questions about the
project.
During
Tuesday night's meeting, Weston laid out some of the reasons why the Joanne Drive site
was chosen as the preferred site over several other alternatives. He also provided
some information on potential noise associated with the project, cost, and
ridership figures.
Weston
said the Joanne Drive site has the best regional access to Route 125, has less
noise impact than other sites that were considered, has the fewest number of
residential properties within a half mile, and allows for a potential
connection to Plaistow center.
“Probably,
at the most, there would be 300 people boarding the train every morning, and
that would not be all at once,” said Weston. He said the 13 commuter trains
that currently run during the day from Haverhill
would extend to Plaistow.
The
peak hours for traffic and ridership would be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.,
generating about 100 additional trips in the Joanne Drive area during that time.
The
layover facility at the site would have tracks for six trains. Weston said
there would be 50 buildings within the area where the sound of idling trains
would be able to be heard over ambient noise. The potential for sound walls
would reduce that number to 39, he added.
Weston
also touched on the cost of the project. The capital costs for the Joanne Drive site
would be just over $50 million.
The
costs for the capital improvements are expected to come from a combination of
federal funds with matching funds from Massachusetts,
according to Weston.
PLAISTOW – A site off Main Street on Joanne Drive is the
preferred site for a commuter rail station and layover facility for the
extension of MBTA service into Plaistow.
That potential site was officially presented during a public information session on the commuter rail study Tuesday night.
Over the next several months, the study will move into the environmental assessment phase, with an environmental assessment report expected to be completed and presented to the town by the end of April. That report will document potential environmental impacts of the Joanne Drive site versus not building a commuter rail station and layover facility at all, according to John Weston of HDR Engineering, the firm preparing the reports.
Although the commuter rail study is nearing completion, it will still be a long and difficult journey before the Haverhill commuter rail line could be running across the state line.
“With the completed report, it is my understanding that the Plaistow Board of Selectmen will present the report to other town boards for review and to provide feedback to them,” said Weston. “If the selectmen find (the commuter rail plan) beneficial to the community, then they will bring it to the town for a vote.”
Weston said no plan would move forward without the support of the town.
Even if the plan clears those hurdles, Weston said it would take a minimum of four to five years to complete. Trains will be rolling by 2020 at the earliest, he said.
The town election on March 10 will guage how much support there is among residents for a commuter rail station and layover facility in Plaistow. A citizens' group against the project has put forward a petition article asking voters if they support a station in town.
James Peck, one of the organizers of Citizens Against a Train Layover Yard in Plaistow, said he is hoping there is a heavy turnout at town election voicing displeasure with the plan.
There also will be a reconfigured Board of Selectmen following the March 10 election, as three candidates are looking to fill two open seats on the board.
Two of those candidates, Tammy Bergeron and Julian Kiszka, have signed a pledge against the layover facility in town. The third candidate, Jim Wentworth, said he does not believe in signing a pledge, but has raised questions about the project.
During Tuesday night's meeting, Weston laid out some of the reasons why the Joanne Drive site was chosen as the preferred site over several other alternatives. He also provided some information on potential noise associated with the project, cost, and ridership figures.
Weston said the Joanne Drive site has the best regional access to Route 125, has less noise impact than other sites that were considered, has the fewest number of residential properties within a half mile, and allows for a potential connection to Plaistow center.
“Probably, at the most, there would be 300 people boarding the train every morning, and that would not be all at once,” said Weston. He said the 13 commuter trains that currently run during the day from Haverhill would extend to Plaistow.
The peak hours for traffic and ridership would be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., generating about 100 additional trips in the Joanne Drive area during that time.
The layover facility at the site would have tracks for six trains. Weston said there would be 50 buildings within the area where the sound of idling trains would be able to be heard over ambient noise. The potential for sound walls would reduce that number to 39, he added.
Weston also touched on the cost of the project. The capital costs for the Joanne Drive site would be just over $50 million.
The costs for the capital improvements are expected to come from a combination of federal funds with matching funds from Massachusetts, according to Weston.
That potential site was officially presented during a public information session on the commuter rail study Tuesday night.
Over the next several months, the study will move into the environmental assessment phase, with an environmental assessment report expected to be completed and presented to the town by the end of April. That report will document potential environmental impacts of the Joanne Drive site versus not building a commuter rail station and layover facility at all, according to John Weston of HDR Engineering, the firm preparing the reports.
Although the commuter rail study is nearing completion, it will still be a long and difficult journey before the Haverhill commuter rail line could be running across the state line.
“With the completed report, it is my understanding that the Plaistow Board of Selectmen will present the report to other town boards for review and to provide feedback to them,” said Weston. “If the selectmen find (the commuter rail plan) beneficial to the community, then they will bring it to the town for a vote.”
Weston said no plan would move forward without the support of the town.
Even if the plan clears those hurdles, Weston said it would take a minimum of four to five years to complete. Trains will be rolling by 2020 at the earliest, he said.
The town election on March 10 will guage how much support there is among residents for a commuter rail station and layover facility in Plaistow. A citizens' group against the project has put forward a petition article asking voters if they support a station in town.
James Peck, one of the organizers of Citizens Against a Train Layover Yard in Plaistow, said he is hoping there is a heavy turnout at town election voicing displeasure with the plan.
There also will be a reconfigured Board of Selectmen following the March 10 election, as three candidates are looking to fill two open seats on the board.
Two of those candidates, Tammy Bergeron and Julian Kiszka, have signed a pledge against the layover facility in town. The third candidate, Jim Wentworth, said he does not believe in signing a pledge, but has raised questions about the project.
During Tuesday night's meeting, Weston laid out some of the reasons why the Joanne Drive site was chosen as the preferred site over several other alternatives. He also provided some information on potential noise associated with the project, cost, and ridership figures.
Weston said the Joanne Drive site has the best regional access to Route 125, has less noise impact than other sites that were considered, has the fewest number of residential properties within a half mile, and allows for a potential connection to Plaistow center.
“Probably, at the most, there would be 300 people boarding the train every morning, and that would not be all at once,” said Weston. He said the 13 commuter trains that currently run during the day from Haverhill would extend to Plaistow.
The peak hours for traffic and ridership would be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., generating about 100 additional trips in the Joanne Drive area during that time.
The layover facility at the site would have tracks for six trains. Weston said there would be 50 buildings within the area where the sound of idling trains would be able to be heard over ambient noise. The potential for sound walls would reduce that number to 39, he added.
Weston also touched on the cost of the project. The capital costs for the Joanne Drive site would be just over $50 million.
The costs for the capital improvements are expected to come from a combination of federal funds with matching funds from Massachusetts, according to Weston.
PLAISTOW – A site off Main Street on Joanne Drive is the
preferred site for a commuter rail station and layover facility for the
extension of MBTA service into Plaistow.
That potential site was officially presented during a public information session on the commuter rail study Tuesday night.
Over the next several months, the study will move into the environmental assessment phase, with an environmental assessment report expected to be completed and presented to the town by the end of April. That report will document potential environmental impacts of the Joanne Drive site versus not building a commuter rail station and layover facility at all, according to John Weston of HDR Engineering, the firm preparing the reports.
Although the commuter rail study is nearing completion, it will still be a long and difficult journey before the Haverhill commuter rail line could be running across the state line.
“With the completed report, it is my understanding that the Plaistow Board of Selectmen will present the report to other town boards for review and to provide feedback to them,” said Weston. “If the selectmen find (the commuter rail plan) beneficial to the community, then they will bring it to the town for a vote.”
Weston said no plan would move forward without the support of the town.
Even if the plan clears those hurdles, Weston said it would take a minimum of four to five years to complete. Trains will be rolling by 2020 at the earliest, he said.
The town election on March 10 will guage how much support there is among residents for a commuter rail station and layover facility in Plaistow. A citizens' group against the project has put forward a petition article asking voters if they support a station in town.
James Peck, one of the organizers of Citizens Against a Train Layover Yard in Plaistow, said he is hoping there is a heavy turnout at town election voicing displeasure with the plan.
There also will be a reconfigured Board of Selectmen following the March 10 election, as three candidates are looking to fill two open seats on the board.
Two of those candidates, Tammy Bergeron and Julian Kiszka, have signed a pledge against the layover facility in town. The third candidate, Jim Wentworth, said he does not believe in signing a pledge, but has raised questions about the project.
During Tuesday night's meeting, Weston laid out some of the reasons why the Joanne Drive site was chosen as the preferred site over several other alternatives. He also provided some information on potential noise associated with the project, cost, and ridership figures.
Weston said the Joanne Drive site has the best regional access to Route 125, has less noise impact than other sites that were considered, has the fewest number of residential properties within a half mile, and allows for a potential connection to Plaistow center.
“Probably, at the most, there would be 300 people boarding the train every morning, and that would not be all at once,” said Weston. He said the 13 commuter trains that currently run during the day from Haverhill would extend to Plaistow.
The peak hours for traffic and ridership would be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., generating about 100 additional trips in the Joanne Drive area during that time.
The layover facility at the site would have tracks for six trains. Weston said there would be 50 buildings within the area where the sound of idling trains would be able to be heard over ambient noise. The potential for sound walls would reduce that number to 39, he added.
Weston also touched on the cost of the project. The capital costs for the Joanne Drive site would be just over $50 million.
The costs for the capital improvements are expected to come from a combination of federal funds with matching funds from Massachusetts, according to Weston.
That potential site was officially presented during a public information session on the commuter rail study Tuesday night.
Over the next several months, the study will move into the environmental assessment phase, with an environmental assessment report expected to be completed and presented to the town by the end of April. That report will document potential environmental impacts of the Joanne Drive site versus not building a commuter rail station and layover facility at all, according to John Weston of HDR Engineering, the firm preparing the reports.
Although the commuter rail study is nearing completion, it will still be a long and difficult journey before the Haverhill commuter rail line could be running across the state line.
“With the completed report, it is my understanding that the Plaistow Board of Selectmen will present the report to other town boards for review and to provide feedback to them,” said Weston. “If the selectmen find (the commuter rail plan) beneficial to the community, then they will bring it to the town for a vote.”
Weston said no plan would move forward without the support of the town.
Even if the plan clears those hurdles, Weston said it would take a minimum of four to five years to complete. Trains will be rolling by 2020 at the earliest, he said.
The town election on March 10 will guage how much support there is among residents for a commuter rail station and layover facility in Plaistow. A citizens' group against the project has put forward a petition article asking voters if they support a station in town.
James Peck, one of the organizers of Citizens Against a Train Layover Yard in Plaistow, said he is hoping there is a heavy turnout at town election voicing displeasure with the plan.
There also will be a reconfigured Board of Selectmen following the March 10 election, as three candidates are looking to fill two open seats on the board.
Two of those candidates, Tammy Bergeron and Julian Kiszka, have signed a pledge against the layover facility in town. The third candidate, Jim Wentworth, said he does not believe in signing a pledge, but has raised questions about the project.
During Tuesday night's meeting, Weston laid out some of the reasons why the Joanne Drive site was chosen as the preferred site over several other alternatives. He also provided some information on potential noise associated with the project, cost, and ridership figures.
Weston said the Joanne Drive site has the best regional access to Route 125, has less noise impact than other sites that were considered, has the fewest number of residential properties within a half mile, and allows for a potential connection to Plaistow center.
“Probably, at the most, there would be 300 people boarding the train every morning, and that would not be all at once,” said Weston. He said the 13 commuter trains that currently run during the day from Haverhill would extend to Plaistow.
The peak hours for traffic and ridership would be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., generating about 100 additional trips in the Joanne Drive area during that time.
The layover facility at the site would have tracks for six trains. Weston said there would be 50 buildings within the area where the sound of idling trains would be able to be heard over ambient noise. The potential for sound walls would reduce that number to 39, he added.
Weston also touched on the cost of the project. The capital costs for the Joanne Drive site would be just over $50 million.
The costs for the capital improvements are expected to come from a combination of federal funds with matching funds from Massachusetts, according to Weston.
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Barton McLaine said Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 11:28 am
****** the torpedoes and all
sense.Just let's be very clear about this. Maggie and her henchmen are
planning to spend a minimum,,, when have to ever seen the minimum
spent,,,think Big Dig,,,of 300MILLION$$$$ of YOUR money to provide
transportation to her 3,000 voters who moved here from Boston and vote
Democrat blindly.~~~Talk about payoffs!
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Comments
- Identify yourself. Accounts using fake or incomplete names are suspended regardless of the quality of posts.
- Say something new, stay on topic, keep it short.
- Links to outside URLs are discouraged, if used they should be on topic.
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