WESTFIELD- The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) held a public information meeting Thursday at City Hall to discuss the commission’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for the next two decades.
Andrew McCaul, the senior transportation planner at the PVPC, gave an update to its long-term transportation plans, which is required by federal law at least once every four years.
McCaul said that there are many requirements for the RTP to be considered valid. He said it needed to outline the direction of transportation improvements in detail, identify current and future needs of transportation in the Pioneer Valley, demonstrate air quality conformity and be equitable for all populations in the area. The PVPC conducted a survey of 250 respondents in the area to find out what transportation needs are be considered a priority by the public.
The survey asked what kind of projects would be most important to the respondent. Projects that would enhance the movement and connectivity of pedestrians and bicycles rose to the top. The least important projects were considered to be bridge projects. Projects that improve safety and enhance transit were also scored as high priority projects.
Another question on the survey asked what specific projects people would like to see. The highest scoring response was for an improved East and West passenger rail service going directly to Boston. Scoring close behind were, again, bicycle and pedestrian connectivity as well as adequate regional transit funding. Among the lowest priority, according to respondents, was a new Massachusetts Turnpike exit.
“It is always a goal of ours to identify the need for funding, and what is needed to provide safe and reliable transportation infrastructure,” said Gary Roux, principal planner and traffic manager for the PVPC. “We want to give people options other than driving a car.”
Although it scored as a low priority, McCaul presented three locations where the PVPC could see a new exit going on the Mass Pike between existing exit three in Westfield and exit two in Lee. The three spots were on Algerie Road in Otis, a maintenance depot on Blandford’s Chester Road, and the current Blandford rest area on the pike. Right now, there is a 30 mile gap between exits three and two. McCaul said that each of these possible projects would cost between $30 and $40 million because they would have to fix the road the exit comes out to in addition to building the exit itself.
Roux previously noted that some of the projects that may be presented at the meeting will be shown simply to demonstrate to the public that there may be a need for them, but they do not necessarily have any funding yet.
“We know that some of these things are probably going to do in the next 20 to 30 years, but right now we don’t know how to fund them,” said McCaul.
