Weston consultants recommend shared-use path for Route 30 reconstruction

WESTON — May 29, 2019 — Weston consultants pitch south-side shared-use path for Route 30 reconstruction. Howard Stein Hudson engineer Bridget Myers told the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee on May 29 that the firm now recommends a 10-foot shared-use path on the south side of the 3.7-mile corridor, with 11-foot travel lanes, 3-foot shoulders and a grass buffer holding pavement width near today's 28 feet. Active-transportation lead Amy Engels cited survivability data — "at 40 miles per hour, you get 1 out of 10 pedestrians survive." The team is recommending new traffic signals at Oak Street, where 13 crashes were reported, and Winter Street, where 16 were reported and sight lines are "extremely poor." Town Engineer Steve Fogg said the town funded design through Town Meeting but expects MassDOT to cover roughly $10 million in construction, four to five years out. Public comment ran heavily on the Route 117–Merriam Street intersection, with multiple residents reporting recent crashes and demanding near-term mitigation.