Select Board sends $600,000 Route 30 design article to Town Meeting

WESTON — March 26, 2024 — Weston Select Board advances $600,000 Route 30 design article after sharp safety debate. Traffic and Sidewalk Committee Chair Jay Doyle defended the shared use path concept on the south side of the 3.7-mile corridor, citing a 2020 committee vote and a Howard Stein Hudson tree inventory identifying 177 removals — 43 in good condition, two in very good. Residents Lou and Rebecca Mercuri of 502 South Ave. urged directional bike lanes instead, citing 47 driveway and roadway crossings in 1.8 miles and AASHTO cautions on two-way side paths. Chair Lori Bent called the path "a critical east-west link" in a regional network. MassDOT would fund construction at an estimated $15 million to $18 million through the TIP. The board separately voted 3-0 to make Love Lane turn restrictions permanent and approved the FY2025 budget, the Town Meeting warrant, a revised reserve policy and the Josiah Smith Tavern master lease.