Dear General Manager Eng,
As the state delegation for the town of Reading, we write to express our concerns regarding the turnaround track installation project currently undergoing permitting review. As your team acknowledges, this project was not appropriately presented to the community, abutters, or town officials. While we understand that there is historical context for train tracks in the area, more recent history has established a designated Environmental Justice neighborhood and protected conservation area on either side of the proposed 4,500 foot extension. On behalf of the town, we are requesting a more robust program of community engagement and mitigation prior to construction, if moving forward is what is deemed most appropriate upon thorough consideration.
Certainly, reduced headways and an electrified system are assets to the entire transportation system, but we do not want an already disenfranchised population to have to bear the brunt of the costs for these improvements. Several residents have reported not being sufficiently informed about the intended project. In recognition of the unique needs of this location, a more thorough cadre of stakeholder engagement would be appropriate. Specifically, we seek to elevate the environmental concerns of residents regarding the use of diesel locomotives in a conservation area, particularly when federal funds to the state for electrification are increasingly uncertain. In addition, a traffic study at the in-town railroad crossings would be appropriate to get a technical understanding of the impacts to the town.
We appreciate that the MBTA has scheduled a public engagement meeting on February 25th and hope that the MBTA will come prepared to receive feedback, answer residents’ concerns, and propose a clear path of action that accommodates both the system’s and the town’s needs.
Best Regards,
| Jason Lewis State Senator 5th Middlesex | Bradley Jones State Representative 20th Middlesex | Richard Haggerty State Representative 30th Middlesex |
CC: Matthew Kraunelis, Town Manager and Carlo Bacci, Select Board Chair.
The PDF of the letter can be found here.
We also created a dedicated MBTA page with all relevant info that has been presented here: https://www.readingrecap.com/mbta/
The next public forum is on February 25th at 7pm. More details here:
https://www.mbta.com/events/2025-02-25/public-meeting-reading-turnback-track-project-person
