New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently testified before the Fiscal and Management Control Board at MassDOT in support of a Middleboro rail extension to Fall River and New Bedford. Development of a Middleboro rail extension is a realistic and pragmatic SouthCoast Rail alternative than the currently proposed Stoughton Route. Furthermore, it could be operational within a few years for less than $200 million, rather than waiting another 15 to 20 years, or more for a needed commuter rail solution.
The Chamber’s frustration on the issue of commuter transportation to Boston is real. SouthCoast commuters continue to tell stone-faced officials about their daily 120-minute plus treks up Route 24 to Interstate 93 toward Boston, but the solution is no closer today than it was ten years ago. The laments over long drives to Boston and the region’s economic distress are hardly new. Nearly 25 years ago former Gov. William Weld went to the South Coast promising to ramp up passenger rail, declaring, “Sue me if it doesn’t happen.” His successors kept the dream alive, but never got it built. Meanwhile the congestion on Route 24 and Interstate 93 keeps getting worse.
Part of the problem may be that the proposed Stoughton Route looks great in theory, but regrettably faces too many tangible obstacles that in their totality outweigh the many benefits. Examples include identifying a $2.4 billion funding source while it is estimated that over $7 – 8 Billion is needed to repair existing MBTA lines, fighting off legal challenges by environmental groups who are protecting the Hocko-mock Swamp, and contending against interests of the 300 plus year old historic town of Easton whose village center sits right on top of the proposed railway route. That is why now may be the best time to re-examine the Middleboro Extension Alternative that was floated and discarded many years ago. The Middleboro Extension Alternative is far from ideal, but it is a pragmatic alternative that could connect Fall River and New Bedford to Boston within five years. Furthermore, a Middleboro rail connection linking the SouthCoast to Boston within a 90 minutes train ride can be completed for a fraction of the proposed costs to build the Stoughton Route. The newly operational commuter line between Worcester to Boston “HeartToHub” service takes about the same amount of time.
The funding of SouthCoast Rail has been the most difficult issue to overcome. It was recently released that the MassDOT Capital Improvement Plan under Transportation Secretary Pollack included $148 million dedicated to begin permitting and remediating the rail lines located south of Cotley Junction in Taunton. There lies the elusive funding source for a Middleboro Extension Alternative.
If the collective goal within the SouthCoast region is to immediately address congestion on Route 24 to Boston, which is growing, then the Middleboro Extension to Fall River and New Bedford is the only feasible rail alternative that works. Now is the time to embrace a fully funded Middleboro Extension Alternative. Let’s get this project off the drawing board and into the queue.
