Support Commuter Rail Service to Foxborough

The Town of Foxborough is one of the only towns in the region to have a train station without the benefit of regular commuter rail service. A number of studies and surveys have shown a need for additional commuter rail service to this region while supporting environmental justice communities by providing more public transportation opportunities, specifically additional commuter rail service. Establishing regular commuter rail service to Foxborough is also consistent with decades of local, state and regional planning policies and initiatives, including the Stadium Act and Economic Development Area Overlay Zoning (1999), Foxborough’s Economic Development Master Plan (2013), Foxborough’s Master Plan (2014) and Foxborough’s Route 1 Economic Development study (2015).
To introduce this type of service to Foxborough, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is contemplating a 1-year pilot program for weekday commuter rail service to Foxborough via Foxboro Station. The pilot calls for extending existing Fairmount Line trains from Readville Station to Foxboro Station. The program would provide peak period and midday commuter rail service on weekdays.
The goal of establishing weekday commuter rail service to Foxborough is to address system constraints and spur new economic development opportunities in the region by maximizing use of existing and available infrastructure. By establishing additional commuter rail service to Foxboro Station, this region has the potential to unlock up to $1.3 billion in additional annual economic output in the Route 1 Corridor and create thousands of new full-time jobs through new economic development opportunities. This type of smart, transit-oriented growth cannot be realized without improved public transportation to this region.
Additional benefits for this service include:
• Improving commuter rail service by satisfying established demand for service to Foxboro Station while alleviating congestion at existing stations within the region.
• Providing commuters with ample parking (500 parking spaces available for all MBTA passengers with no residential restrictions). Parking availability will alleviate commuter parking and train congestion at other stations in the area.
• Attracting a more diverse and qualified candidate pool for employers in the Tri-Town region.
• Taking more cars off the roads (current drive times from the Tri-Town region to Boston range from 45 minutes to 2 hours)
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increases energy savings and provides healthy transit options.
This proposed commuter rail service to Foxboro Station is sponsored by the Town of Foxborough and supported by Foxborough’s Board of Selectmen, Foxborough’s Economic Development Committee, Foxborough residents, the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce, Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, the United Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sharon, the Town of Franklin, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the 495/MetroWest Partnership, Foxborough’s Route 1 Business Association, The Kraft Group, Schneider Electric and Dorel Juvenile Group.
If approved by the MBTA’s Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB), the pilot program is anticipated to commence in 2018. For the economic, transportation and environmental benefits outlined above, we, the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce, fully support the proposed commuter rail pilot program to the Town of Foxborough and encourage you to join us in recommending its approval to the FMCB.