VOTE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH !!!

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"The  MBTA Commuter Trains are great. They provide a convenient, efficient,  and environmentally-friendly way to commute to and from Boston. 

"However,  the 6 grade crossings (Needham Golf Course, Oak Street, Great Plain  Avenue, May Street, Rosemary Street, and West Street) represent a safety  risk, and the train horns blasting 4 times for 15 seconds at 96-110  decibels as they approach each crossing, represent a significant  quality-of-life issue for residents.

"Needham  should create a quiet zone either by installing four-quadrant gates or  creating median strips to prevent motorists or bicyclists from slaloming  around gates. These supplemental safety measures would allow Needham to  obtain a quiet zone waiver, and train horns would not need to be  blasted, except in the case of an emergency.

"Needham  should actively explore costs and funding sources, such as state and  federal grants, to make the Needham quiet zone a reality."

"My position is to support the recent initiatives of the Select Board to create a placeholder in the Town’s capital improvement plan for the upgrade of the crossings in Needham to

make sure they are Quiet Zone compliant.

"It is my understanding the estimated time that it will take to complete is 5 to 6 years and it will cost somewhere between $3-7 million dollars. As a member of the Select Board, I will

work with the MBTA and a designated consultant and other stakeholders to make sure that the improvements are made in a timely and cost effective manner.

"Ultimately Town Meeting will decide this issue but it would be my position to be fiscally responsible and pragmatic to make this goal a reality."