Worcester, Mass., committees seek changes to CSX yard expansion plans

A joint Worcester, Mass., City Council committee has asked CSX Corp. officials if they can modify plans to double the size of their freight terminal to address increased truck traffic concerns on lower Grafton Street and the planned closing of Putnam Lane, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.

With as many as 500 trucks
a day expected to use the proposed new entrance/exit to the CSX freight
terminal on Grafton Street, members of the council’s Public Works and Public
Service and Transportation committees said an upgrade to Grafton Street is
needed.

In particular, it was
suggested that a third traffic lane be built, from the proposed new
entrance/exit of the CSX freight yard to the Interstate 290 eastbound on-ramp.
By having a separate lane for trucks, committee members said it would prevent
traffic back-ups on Grafton Street as tractor-trailers enter and exit the
freight terminal.

While CSX officials said
they are now working with state highway officials to address traffic concerns
on Grafton Street, they pointed out that the freight terminal will actually
generate less traffic than when Shaw’s had a supermarket at that location.

The joint committee also
asked for another alternative to the planned closing of Putnam Lane, which is
the only connection between Franklin and Shrewsbury streets, from Washington
Square to Piccadilly Plaza on Shrewsbury Street. CSX officials said the closing
of Putnam Lane is necessary to facilitate the expansion of its freight
terminal.

In response to neighborhood
concerns about closing Putnam Lane, CSX last week unveiled six alternatives
designed to retain a connection between Franklin and Shrewsbury streets. But
District 3 Councilor Paul P. Clancy Jr., co-chairman of the joint committee,
said each one has significant drawbacks and asked whether any other connections
could be developed.

"I don’t see a lot of
doable options," Clancy said in reference to the six alternatives. "(Putnam Lane)
is an important connection for many people who live in that area. I’m not sure
this can be resolved, but we should see if there might be any other options."

Clancy also raised
questions about whether CSX could also use Franklin Street as an entrance/exit
to its freight terminal. He said that would reduce the number of tractor-trailers
having to use Grafton Street. He suggested a signalized intersection could be
created at Franklin Street, so trucks on the south side of the CSX freight yard
could cross the street and get to the rail lines on the north side of the
street.

CSX has proposed building a
bridge on Franklin Street so trucks could navigate the entire freight terminal
without interfering with local street traffic. CSX officials said having just
one entrance/exit is important for the security and efficiency of the freight
terminal.

Councilor-at-Large Kathleen
M. Toomey and District 4 Councilor Barbara G. Haller, meanwhile, expressed
concerns about the planned construction of a maintenance building off Atlanta
Street. They pointed out that Atlanta Street is in a residential area and that
traffic going to and from that building would negatively impact it.

CSX wants to double the
size of its freight yard on Franklin Street from 23 acres to 51 acres and make
Worcester its new rail freight hub for New England. The $100-million project is
part of a private-public partnership between the state and CSX to reposition
its freight operations in Massachusetts so the rail line between Worcester and
Boston can be opened to more commuter trains, with a goal of adding 20 more
commuter trains by 2012.

Councilor-at-Large Joseph
M. Petty, co-chairman of the joint committee, said he and his colleagues want
to work closely with CSX to make the expansion plans become a reality.

Maurice O’Connell, vice
president of government affairs for CSX, said his company is equally committed
to working with the city.

"To spend $100 million on
this project and have trucks not moving is not a good business plan for us," O’Connell
said.

District 2 Councilor Philip
P. Palmieri said he would also like to know what plans CSX might have for
additional expansion in future years. He pointed out that CSX originally
planned on taking considerably more land along Franklin Street for its freight
yard.