By Jack Schwed
Weston’s Route 30 reconstruction project, aiming to make safety and infrastructure improvements along the 3.7-mile portion of the state road stretching through Weston, has been at the center of ongoing debate in that town. Many residents have raised environmental, safety, and cost concerns at recent public listening sessions.
The reconstruction project, currently at the 75% design phase, seeks to implement a 10-foot-wide, shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists along Route 30; improve pedestrian crossings, drainage, and curb ramp accessibility; and increase connectivity to other paths, towns, and transit stations (see tinyurl.com/weston-route30 for details).
If the project proceeds despite resident pushback, construction would begin around 2028, with the path’s western limit set at the Natick town line — specifically, within the small northeast corner lodged between Wayland and Weston.
Whether Natick (whose share of Route 30 is minuscule) and Wayland decide to extend the path westward is at the respective towns’ discretion, according to a “frequently asked questions” page about the project on the Weston town website (tinyurl.com/weston-route30-FAQ).
“The western limits are at the Town line and therefore any extension of the shared use path would need to be initiated and designed by the town of Natick (and then Wayland shortly after),” the article states.
Tom Holder, director of Wayland’s Department of Public Works, wrote in an email to the Wayland Post that there are currently no plans for Route 30 reconstruction in Wayland.
“We have several local roads and state numbered roads planned for rehabilitation,” he wrote. “Route 30 is not one of those on any near-term Wayland plans.”
Route 30, known locally as Commonwealth Road, connects Wayland commuters to the I-90/Massachusetts Turnpike exits in Natick to the west and in Weston to the east. Major business hubs in and surrounding Boston can be reached through the I-95/Route 128 belt in Weston, or form Natick by ROute 27and to southern communities such as Natick through Route 27, which both have direct I-90/Massachusetts Turnpike access.
The project’s potential impact on traffic for Wayland commuters is currently uncertain, Holder wrote, because Weston has not yet shared the details of its plans with Wayland.
“Generally, when a community is planning work that impacts its neighboring community, it reaches out to its neighbor to coordinate impacts. Wayland regularly does this,” Holder wrote. “We have not heard from Weston regarding their planned work.” The Wayland DPW plans to reach out to Weston to “learn of their intentions,” he wrote.
Weston’s Route 30 reconstruction plan was first proposed in 2018 by the Weston Traffic and Sidewalk Committee, alongside the town’s Department of Public Works, to comply with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s safety and accessibility standards for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, according to the town website.
“In evaluating the best way to provide safe ways to walk and bike along Route 30, Weston’s Traffic & Sidewalk Committee carefully reviewed all of the design options before recommending a Shared-Use Path that is physically separated from the roadway,” the website states. “Among the alternatives, this design is the safest and most environmentally sensitive.”
Weston’s Traffic and Sidewalk Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Weston DPW could not be reached for comment via email or phone.
Since then, the plan has been adjusted significantly as a result of new data collection on the conditions of Route 30 and updated design guidelines from MassDOT, according to the FAQ.
The current plan has received some public support, but has mostly faced overwhelming opposition, at a series of listening sessions held by the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee over the last several months, with the most recent being June 30. There, consultants from Howard Stein Hudson, the engineering and planning firm in charge of the project, were present to answer questions about construction at specific sites.
At the meeting, Town Engineer Jason Lavoie, the committee’s DPW designee, said the next steps will be for the committee to continue accepting comments on the design plan for a brief period and draft a memo to send to HSH, which modifies the plan accordingly.
Then, he said, the DPW will review the modifications and present them to the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee and the Select Board, after which HSH will make edits and send the plan back with a comment list. Finally, public hearings will be held to give people the opportunity to respond to the comments, Lavoie said.
