Weston Traffic Committee elects new chair, debates Route 117 safety stalemate

WESTON -- November 20, 2025, Weston's Traffic and Sidewalk Committee elected Dan Patton as its new chair and pressed for faster action on two long-stalled safety projects at its November 20 hybrid meeting. Patton, who joined the committee last spring, defeated fellow member Rebecca Mercury four votes to two in a hand-count election, succeeding outgoing Chair Jay Doyle effective at the close of the meeting. The committee spent more than an hour on the Route 117 and Merriam Street intersection, where resident Philip Simmons told members the situation "has become almost impossible for bikers trying to get across without risking their lives," and members agreed to redeploy a speed monitoring board at the site to build a data case for the Select Board. On the Ash Street walkway, design-complete and Town Meeting-funded, members said the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has not responded to DPW outreach for at least six months, threatening the calendar year 2026 construction window, and discussed escalating to the town manager and state legislators to force a response.