For Canton officials, the time to think regionally is now.
Unhappy over the proposed $1.8-billion, 4.5-million-square-foot Westwood Station, officials here say cities and towns should think beyond their own borders when planning new development.
``We have to be realists,'' said Canton Town Administrator William Friel. ``We're not going to change this in a day. We're all kind of doing our own things. No one's trying to hurt anyone. I think we're against approaching these as individual communities, instead of in collaboration.''
About 20 officials from six area communities met in Canton Wednesday to discuss the impacts of a variety of developments under way or in the works.
Canton selectmen remain convinced traffic generated from Westwood Station will spill well past Westwood's border. Officials aren't just concerned about Westwood Station. They worry about the fallout from Legacy Place in Dedham, Patriot Place in Foxboro and Sharon Commons Á all large-scale projects in the interstates 93 and 95 corridor.
``The growth is really affecting the region in an unprecedented way,'' said William Keegan, Dedham town administrator. ``It's really important to have this dialogue.''
While officials might not agree on the size and scope of some of the projects, they all saw eye-to-eye on the reconstruction of the I-93 and 95 interchange. They want it done sooner rather than later.
The project is slated for 2016 but many think the region can't afford to wait that long.
``We have got to insist that the infrastructure be in place in a reasonable time,'' said state Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton.
Friel distributed a letter for signing to be sent to Gov. Deval Patrick explaining the need for that construction.
But fixing the interchange might not eliminate as much of the gridlock as people think, according to traffic analyst Gary McNaughton, of McMahon Associates.
``You don't suddenly open up the world with this project,'' McNaughton said. Fixing the interchange would improve traffic and safety, he said.
Many of the region's roads are at or near capacity. The new developments are sure to make things worse, McNaughton said.
Officials said the state needs an entity to manage development and its impacts regionally, such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
They weren't convinced the planning council could have the political power to actually bring about change.
``The (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) is never going to get the legislative authority to have the power to step in as a regional authority,'' said John Carroll, Norwood's general manager.
The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office reviews traffic studies when studying developers' environmental impact reports, but it tends to look at impacts broadly, while not spending much time evaluating the effect on individual intersections. If the office could adjust its focus, it could serve as that regional authority, McNaughton said.
Sue McQuaid, president of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, invited those interested to attend monthly meetings at the chamber to further discuss regional traffic.
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For Canton officials, the time to think regionally is now.
Unhappy over the proposed $1.8-billion, 4.5-million-square-foot Westwood Station, officials here say cities and towns should think beyond their own borders when planning new development.
``We have to be realists,'' said Canton Town Administrator William Friel. ``We're not going to change this in a day. We're all kind of doing our own things. No one's trying to hurt anyone. I think we're against approaching these as individual communities, instead of in collaboration.''
About 20 officials from six area communities met in Canton Wednesday to discuss the impacts of a variety of developments under way or in the works.
Canton selectmen remain convinced traffic generated from Westwood Station will spill well past Westwood's border. Officials aren't just concerned about Westwood Station. They worry about the fallout from Legacy Place in Dedham, Patriot Place in Foxboro and Sharon Commons Á all large-scale projects in the interstates 93 and 95 corridor.
``The growth is really affecting the region in an unprecedented way,'' said William Keegan, Dedham town administrator. ``It's really important to have this dialogue.''
While officials might not agree on the size and scope of some of the projects, they all saw eye-to-eye on the reconstruction of the I-93 and 95 interchange. They want it done sooner rather than later.
The project is slated for 2016 but many think the region can't afford to wait that long.
``We have got to insist that the infrastructure be in place in a reasonable time,'' said state Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton.
Friel distributed a letter for signing to be sent to Gov. Deval Patrick explaining the need for that construction.
But fixing the interchange might not eliminate as much of the gridlock as people think, according to traffic analyst Gary McNaughton, of McMahon Associates.
``You don't suddenly open up the world with this project,'' McNaughton said. Fixing the interchange would improve traffic and safety, he said.
Many of the region's roads are at or near capacity. The new developments are sure to make things worse, McNaughton said.
Officials said the state needs an entity to manage development and its impacts regionally, such as the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
They weren't convinced the planning council could have the political power to actually bring about change.
``The (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) is never going to get the legislative authority to have the power to step in as a regional authority,'' said John Carroll, Norwood's general manager.
The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office reviews traffic studies when studying developers' environmental impact reports, but it tends to look at impacts broadly, while not spending much time evaluating the effect on individual intersections. If the office could adjust its focus, it could serve as that regional authority, McNaughton said.
Sue McQuaid, president of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, invited those interested to attend monthly meetings at the chamber to further discuss regional traffic.
