GATRA Launches Innovative On-Demand Share Service - Dec 15

Passengers Can Book Same Day Trips Through Smartphone App 

The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Agency (GATRA) is excited to announce the launch of GATRA GO United a flexible and dynamic on-demand microtransit service to operate within the towns of Foxborough, Franklin, Norfolk and Wrentham. 

Similar to ride-hailing services, GATRA GO United uses a smartphone app for riders to schedule customized curb-to-curb microtransit trips. A vehicle will pick up riders and drop them off wherever they wish to travel within the service boundaries. Along the way the shuttle may pick up other passengers who also request a ride (With COVID-19 social distancing protocols in place). This service is wheelchair accessible and all drivers are trained and certified using state and federal guidelines. 

This pilot program will operate within the towns of Foxborough, Franklin, Norfolk and Wrentham as well as portions of the towns of Bellingham and Plainville connecting employment locations, medical facilities and recreational locales. 

The service will start on December 15, 2020 and will be operated on a pilot basis. It will be free through the month of January. The service area map can be found on the GATRA GO United app or on our website, www.gatra.org/gatra-go 

GATRA is partnering with National Express, one of the largest private transportation contractors in the United States and the current operator of GATRA's services in the Franklin and Norfolk Areas. The new service is powered by Next Connect, a new mobility platform developed by National Express in cooperation with Spare, a leading on-demand Transit software provider. 

The new on-demand microtransit service will replace the fixed route bus service in these four towns with a solution that will enhance transportation options for all. To use the new ride share program passengers first need to download the free GATRA GO United app on their smart phone and then request a ride. 

Following a GATRA GO request, the microtransit app will provide passengers with an estimated pick up time, track the bus in real time and alert the person when their ride is about to arrive. GATRA GO United customers do not have to download the app, same day rides can also be requested by calling 800-698-7676. 

Wait time for service pick up will be subject to vehicle availability. GATRA realizes the importance of greater accessibility and mobility in this region and strives to work with their communities to fill public transportation gaps.

https://www.gatra.org/gatra-go-united/ starts Dec 15, 2020

"reliable transit is a lifeblood of the local economies"

From the New York Times, an article of interest for Franklin:

"In Boston, transit officials warned of ending weekend service on the commuter rail and shutting down the city’s ferries. In Washington, weekend and late-night metro service would be eliminated and 19 of the system’s 91 stations would close. In Atlanta, 70 of the city’s 110 bus routes have already been suspended, a move that could become permanent.

And in New York City, home to the largest mass transportation system in North America, transit officials have unveiled a plan that could slash subway service by 40 percent and cut commuter rail service in half.

Across the United States, public transportation systems are confronting an extraordinary financial crisis set off by the pandemic, which has starved transit agencies of huge amounts of revenue and threatens to cripple service for years."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/nyregion/mass-transit-service-cuts-covid.html

The MBTA is scheduled to announce service cuts soon. The period for public input closed on Friday, Dec 4.  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/elimination-of-commuter-rail-service-on.html

"Are we changed forever by the pandemic?"

From CommonWealth Magazine, we share articles of interest for Franklin: 

"WHAT IF our lives are never the same again?

It took a blunt cabinet secretary at a dry state budget hearing to voice the fears of millions.

For Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, the issue was, unsurprisingly, transportation. “The COVID pandemic may well have changed travel and transportation forever,” Pollack said at a hearing before the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committees on Wednesday.

Working from home, online shopping, and remote learning, Pollack said, have reshaped the needs of travelers. She said state officials have “begun to plan for a post-COVID world where some of the changes in travel remain long after the pandemic has been vanquished.”

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/are-we-changed-forever-by-the-pandemic-2/

In my regular series of conversations with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, we have talked of the genie is out of the bottle and how there are aspects of life that we should not go back to, there are improvements already available. 

One clear example, is the public meeting format. We have had greater participation via Zoom, cable broadcast and the hybrid meeting room that we ever could accomplish in the Council Chambers. The Chambers fit approx 75 people. The School Committee meetings have had over 300 a couple of times. The Council budget hearings had 1,000 over the two night radio broadcast.

The market study and the business listening sessions are a good opportunity to help figure out what doing business in Franklin will be like as the pandemic continues. No one has the 'crystal ball' as to what things will look like post-pandemic.

Transportation forecast already show lingering effects of the pandemic. In case you missed the study and meeting referenced here, check this link:  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/10/none-of-three-scenarios-developed-by.html

"Are we changed forever by the pandemic?"

In the News: "One challenge the region faces due to its economic success is traffic congestion"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:  

"The MetroWest region’s unemployment rate has been consistently lower than the statewide numbers for the past three decades thanks in part to an influx of biopharmaceutical, information technology and analytics as well as medical device companies moving to the area.

But the increase in new businesses coming to the region has created some challenges, such as increased traffic congestion, according to a new profile of economic and demographic trends released Monday.

The Westborough-based 495/MetroWest Partnership and the Public Policy Center at UMass Dartmouth released the new profile, which indicates the region continues to enjoy a number of strategic advantages while continuing to confront challenges related to transportation and housing."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200915/three-main-industries-have-contributed-to-3-decades-of-low-unemployment-in-495metrowest-region-it-is-one-of-strategic-advantages-for-region?rssfeed=true

 

Visit the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, Inc. online at https://www.495partnership.org/ 

Get your copy of the full report to read and review

https://mecc.memberclicks.net/assets/495MWSECC/495%20MetroWest%20Profile%202020.pdf

 

 

In the News: "One challenge the region faces due to its economic success is traffic congestion"

Commonwealth Magazine: "Business groups urge shifting aid from wealthier to poorer school districts" ; "MassDOT, Boston stick with auto-centric approach"

From CommonWealth Magazine we share two articles of interest for Franklin:  

"LESS THAN A year after Massachusetts enacted sweeping legislation to revamp its school funding formula to steer millions of dollars in new aid to low-income districts, a new report suggests the state should go even further in ensuring that support goes to the neediest districts.

Although the more than $5 billion of state funding to schools is largely directed to lower-income school districts, nearly $800 million is allocated without regard to need. A report released Monday by the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce says the state should pull back on that funding and redeploy those dollars to low-income districts that continue to struggle to adequately fund schools.

“If ever there was a moment to promote equity in funding education, now is the time to do it,” said Ed Lambert, executive director of the business alliance. “For every dollar we send to communities that can afford to fund schools on their own we’re moving further, not closer, to equity.”

Lambert said uncertainties introduced by the pandemic about the state’s ability to meet its commitments to poorer districts under the funding measure passed last year make the case even more urgent for cutting the amount of aid distributed on a “need-blind” basis."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/business-groups-urge-shifting-aid-from-wealthier-to-poorer-school-districts/

"THIS IS A TALE of two transportation issues – a window on how we may be losing the opportunity moment provided by a generationally disruptive pattern break.

The pattern break, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic. Every pattern break in history changes the ways we do things going forward. The example I give most often is the experience of 9/11. That pattern break changed forever the way we approach flying and aviation security, it changed the ways we enter public and private buildings, it changed the urban streetscape as barriers originally installed as ugly concrete blocks gave way to highly designed barriers that blend seamlessly into the architectural fabric of the urban landscape.

The COVID-19 pattern break will be as or more significant than the 9/11 break. The impacts of the pandemic reach into almost every aspect of our lives – how we work, how we use and enjoy public and private spaces, how we move from place to place, how we utilize essential services.  The list is nearly endless.

The pandemic won’t last forever – nothing does.  But its effects will stay with us for a long time, some perhaps permanently.  Each of us has been challenged to manage and deal with the realities of this harsh moment – the need to isolate from others, to wear masks outside the home, to significantly alter our desires and habits. But each of us also is being challenged to think about how to build a better future."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/doubling-down-on-the-past/ 

Franklin Public Schools: Re-opening Update Sep 3, 2020

September 3, 2020

Dear Franklin Elementary Families,

It does not go unnoticed by us in the Franklin Public Schools that the first day of school for most of our students (grades 1 through high school) would have been yesterday and today we would have welcomed Kindergarten. There is a measure of sadness, as we so wish to welcome our students back to school in our traditional ways. We are thinking of our families, as well, and recognize that there is likely some grief and worry for parents/guardians and children alike.

We also recognize that you are eager for information. We are working around the clock to bring this to you and your children so that you know what to expect as we start the school year. Please note, the school year will begin in a predominantly remote environment on September 16, 2020.

While we had hoped to get you more specific class cohorting and placement information this week, the planning and preparation for the year is complicated and complex. While elementary cohort information was originally intended to be shared today, it will be sent on Tuesday, September 8. As bus information is dependent on cohort scheduling, transportation will follow after that. Assignments of teachers can be expected at the end of next week.

Cohort information, when shared, will include to which hybrid cohort your child has been assigned OR it will include a virtual-only designation for students whose families indicated in the family inventory that their child would learn in the entirely remote setting. As noted in the August 25, 2020 Reopening Update letter, children from across the district will be grouped together in classroom sections for virtual instruction in a “Virtual Learning Academy”. We are aware that there were conversations in the community that this plan had been changed. The District has carefully reviewed parent/guardian requests, instructional design, hybrid cohorts, and available personnel and is confirming that we are moving forward with the Virtual Learning Academy, which is described here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CyUp967M4IJvPR7xnSa98onyD9mhToqdavwKer9xPpE/edit?usp=sharing).

The plans we are putting in place depend heavily on commitments from families and we ask that you honor the selections you have made. Additionally, because of the planning required, we are asking that students learning in the virtual environment, who wish to switch to hybrid, remain in the virtual setting through the first trimester.

If you have questions about virtual only learning, please reach out to the building principal.

Late last week, some new information was released related to childcare. Remote Learning Parent Cooperatives were among the options described by the Department of Early Education and Care and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued guidance related to care options for hybrid and remote learning models. Helpful guidance about parent cooperatives, including legal limitations, can be found at this link: https://eeclead.force.com/resource/1598716186000/CareOptions

Additionally, we are aware that several childcare options are emerging within the community and we are communicating closely with them. Please check out our News You Can Use web page where we post helpful community based information like this. https://www.franklinps.net/district/news-you-can-use

We recently updated our FAQs (reopening website below) to include information related to:

• Space constraints for children of MA educators attending school full-time
• HVAC information
• Influenza Vaccination documentation deadline
• Chromebook information/optional insurance

We appreciate your patience and kindness as we work through multiple details as we implement our reopening plan. We are actively taking steps to keep you informed during this very fluid environment.

Sincerely,
Franklin Public Schools

Please e-mail reopening@franklinps.net with questions.
https://sites.google.com/franklinps.net/returntoschoolplan/home

Re-opening Update Sep 3, 2020

Reopening Update to the Community from Dr. Sara Ahern - July 23, 2020

July 23, 2020

Dear Franklin Families:

We hope that you are having a good summer. We also recognize that it looks and feels quite different amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thinking of you at this time and hope that you find some relaxing moments amidst the worries and uncertainty you are facing. This update is quite long and contains the following information:

1. Update on the reopening of schools in the fall
2. A Save the Date note regarding upcoming Family Virtual “Chats” to learn more about reopening of school plans and opportunity to provide important input
3. Reminders about online registration, bus transportation for the fall, and summer food services
4. A budget update

Update on the Reopening of Schools in the Fall
We acknowledge that this is a time of anxiety and fear for all - students, faculty/staff, and families. We are in a fluid situation with new health information and guidance from multiple agencies (DESE, CDC, MA DPH) emerging regularly. We aim to provide certainty with what we know at this time but recognize that it is subject to change, and we don’t yet have all the answers.

New guidance from DESE and other agencies is emerging regularly, beginning with the initial guidance issued on June 25, 2020. At this time, the FPS Reopening Taskforce of nearly 60 individuals is working on a Reopening Plan. A preliminary plan will be submitted to DESE on July 31st, and then a Comprehensive Opening Plan will be submitted in early to mid-August. Our taskforce is a large group of administrators, teachers/counselors, FEA representatives, community reps (Facilities, SRO, school physician, and Health department), parents/guardians, and two School Committee representatives.

The plan will address health and safety requirements as well as three different student learning models:

1. In-person instruction
This model involves students attending in-person instruction following health and safety protocols defined by the CDC and DESE. Student desks would be arranged in rows, all facing the same way. Where possible, individuals would maintain 6 feet of physical distance and 3 feet of distance would be the minimum. Among other safety procedures, mask wearing would be in effect and handwashing/hand sanitizing protocols would be implemented. Staff and students would experience training on new practices.

2. Hybrid instruction
This model involves separating students into cohorts so that approximately 50% of students would attend school on certain days and approximately 50% of students would attend school on the alternative days. Cleaning and disinfecting would occur in between attendance of the different cohorts. When students are not present in school, they would be engaged in remote learning. Remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year is expected to be more robust than what students experienced in the spring.

Continue reading the update in the full PDF version linked/displayed here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y619J2kdNoWKTyN5rqmDofDRwPWs8xcl/view?usp=sharing

DESE guidance for school re-opening planning on Transportation and Facilities/Operations

New guidance just released by DESE for school re-opening planning.


Transportation

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDU352EwOD12AtjP71zvgOnkniqgV0VY/view?usp=sharing




Facilities and Operations

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11uD1Qqh6nfF1_bOLrZKysfSvd55aHVTA/view?usp=sharing

DESE guidance for school re-opening planning on Transportation and Facilities/Operations

Senate Passes Bill to Invest in Massachusetts Transportation

Senate Passes Bill to Invest in Massachusetts Transportation 

Legislation authorizes millions of dollars to help accelerate transportation projects in MetroWest

The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday (July 16) passed legislation to jumpstart investment in transportation infrastructure and make the Commonwealth's transportation system more reliable and accessible to residents. The bill includes critical transportation investments for the communities of Framingham, Ashland, Hopkinton, Natick, Franklin, Holliston and Medway.

 "As a long-time advocate for investment in transportation and regional equity, I am thrilled to see this bill invest in projects and ideas that put us on the road to creating a more accessible and reliable system for travelers across MetroWest," stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "The approach advanced today helps us begin the critical work of improving our infrastructure and provides us with new tools to tackle our transportation challenges. Additionally, the investments outlined today will assist our communities at a time of economic uncertainty. I would like to thank Senators Joe Boncore, Michael Rodrigues, and Michael Moore for all their hard work on this legislation and look forward to it swiftly becoming law."

In response to concerns from community members over potential congestion caused by the Allston Multimodal Project, Senate President Spilka set aside $50M of the $250M authorization for the project to be used for traffic mitigation efforts. That funding will help support a requirement of the funding that two tracks on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line be preserved with no reduction in service. Additionally, it would require the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to make public a congestion mitigation plan to ensure the Department develops the most robust mitigation plan feasible. The mitigation plan will be developed in conjunction with key MetroWest stakeholders and provide opportunity for public input from residents of the region.  

Senate President Spilka is particularly thrilled to announce the bill includes the following investment authorizations for MetroWest:

• $50M of $250M for the Allston multi-modal project dedicated to mitigation efforts 
• $8M for a parking structure at downtown Framingham's commuter rail station  
• $2M for Framingham to alleviate flooding at the intersection of Route 9 and 126 
• $2.5M for parking improvements at the Ashland commuter rail station 
• $4M for improvement to Route 135 and Frankland Road in Ashland
• $1.5M for Franklin commuter rail downtown parking 
• $1.5M for Holliston downtown traffic improvements
• $1.5M for sidewalk and pedestrian safety in Hopkinton
• $1.5M for sidewalk and pedestrian safety in Medway
• $1M for sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvements to Route 27 in Natick

These localized authorizations were included as part of An Act Authorizing and Accelerating Transportation Investment, which authorizes more than $16 billion in bonds for a wide variety of statewide infrastructure projects, including both upkeep and maintenance, as well as modernization. In addition to addressing issues such as construction, regional initiatives, traffic congestion, and transportation network companies, this legislation will provide significant support for residents of the Commonwealth by implementing a low-income fare program which will provide discounted transit fares to qualifying riders on MBTA transportation, including the commuter rail, starting on Jan. 1^st, 2022.

The bill provides hundreds of millions of dollars in additional authorizations for, among other items,  Regional Transit Authorities, a pavement improvement program, to address regional bottlenecks, bus transit infrastructure partnership, municipal small bridge program, South Station improvements, new cape cod canal bridges, for a public realm improvement program in response to COVID-19, electric vehicle grants for municipalities and RTAs, regional transportation project and federally aided highways. More than a billion dollars in funding is also authorized for the next generation bridge program. 

The bill represents an important step in reducing traffic congestion, and tasks the Department of Transportation with collecting new information and creating expert-driven plans to respond to the issue. These include seeking federal approval to join the Value Pricing Pilot Program, which provides state agencies with options to manage congestion and establishing a special commission on roadway and congestion pricing, which would also investigate and recommend options for regionally equitable roadway pricing mechanisms. Additionally, the bill allows public authorities to more clearly include time as a factor in evaluating private bids for construction projects. 

At the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, two new offices are created by the bill: An Office of Bus Transformation and an Office of Rail Enhancement. Each office would be dedicated to improving the productivity, equity and environmental sustainability of its respective system.  

The bill addresses the growth of transportation network companies by increasing reporting requirements so that local and state government can better respond to congestion resulting from increased rides. 

In a move that will give regions better control over their transportation infrastructure, the bill allows cities and towns, upon local acceptance by local government and local voters at the ballot, to utilize certain revenue sources for transportation-related projects within the municipality or region. 

The bill also defines and regulates the amounts of fines for a several transportation-related activities. Penalties are defined for improper use of a designated bus lane, for railroads who fail to provide timely and sufficient flaggers, speeding in an active construction zone, and failure to move a vehicle involved in a crash from a travel lane on a public way. 

The bill must now be reconciled with legislation previously passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

Senate Passes Bill to Invest in Massachusetts Transportation

“It is our future, so it has to be a priority”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Massachusetts will invest an additional $1.5 billion in K-12 public education over the next seven years after Gov. Charlie Baker signed a funding reform bill, touted by supporters as a generational change, into law Tuesday.

The legislation directs the bulk of new funding toward districts weighed down by cost drivers, aiming to close opportunity gaps that for years have led to disparate educational outcomes across the state.

“We want all of our children to have the same opportunities to achieve,” Senate President Karen Spilka said in an interview later Tuesday during a visit to the Daily News, noting a “persistent” achievement gap in many school districts. “The talent is the same across the state. The opportunities, unfortunately, have not been the same.”

The law comes four years after a commission warned that Massachusetts was underestimating the actual cost of education by $1 billion annually and more than a year after the last attempt to update the system fell short. Now the focus shifts to a different challenge: following through on the commitment to ramp up funding for schools starting next year."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191126/baker-signs-15b-ed-funding-bill

Recent posting on Student Opportunity Act
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/11/massachusetts-legislature-votes-to.html

Governor Baker's press release can be found
https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-baker-signs-education-funding-bill-providing-investments-in-public-schools-across-the

The text of the legislation S 2412 can be found
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2412

"We know that education drives opportunity"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Massachusetts would invest a new $1.5 billion in its public education system over the next seven years under a long-awaited consensus school finance reform bill that House and Senate leaders rolled out Thursday and expect to hit the Senate floor in two weeks.

State Rep. Alice Pesich, D-Wellesley, and state Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, co-chairs of the Education Committee that has been working for months to develop the legislation, said a focus of the bill is providing resources to low-income students.

“I think it’s fair to say that if this bill passes into law, we will have the strongest and most progressive education funding system in terms of how we reflect the needs of low-income students,” Lewis said. “However, we realize that even with all those changes in the increased Chapter 70 aid that districts will receive, that there’s more that we can and must do to support the needs of all school districts and all students across the state, whether they are in rural districts, suburban districts, Gateway Cities or others.”

The bill, dubbed the Student Opportunity Act and unanimously endorsed Thursday by the Education Committee, would increase Chapter 70 aid to local schools by $1.4 billion, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo said it does not involve plans for additional taxes."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190919/lawmakers-unveil-15b-seven-year-education-bill

Below, please find links to information regarding the Student Opportunity Act:

Student Opportunity Act Overview

https://karenspilka.com/s/Student-Opportunity-Act-PowerPoint.pdf

 

Student Opportunity Act Fact Sheet

https://karenspilka.com/s/Student-Oppoortunity-Act-Fact-Sheet.pdf

 

Student Opportunity Act Question & Answer

https://karenspilka.com/s/Student-Opportunity-Act-QA.pdf

Student Opportunity Act Joint Announcement

https://karenspilka.com/s/Joint-Announcement-on-Student-Opportunity-Act.pdf

Student Opportunity Act Bill Text: Senate Bill 2348

https://karenspilka.com/s/Student-Opportunity-Act-Bill-Text.pdf

"We know that education drives opportunity" (Joint Committee on Education photo)

Learn more about the I-90 Allston Project’s Impacts on MetroWest - Thursday, July 18

Commute Times, Cost, Public Tranist, Congestion, Impact on MetroWest

I hope you will join me MassDOT Public Information Meeting I-90 Allston Multimodal Project Date: Thursday, July 18, 2019 Time: 6:30 pm-8:30 pm Location: Framingham City Hall Blumer Room 150 Concord Street, Framingham As your legislator and a long time toll-paying resident of MetroWest, I invite you to join me this Thursday, July 18, to learn more about the state's plan to overhaul a portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Allston and its potential impact on our region. According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the project will include straightening a portion of Interstate 90 and other changes to accommodate development in Allston/Brighton. We deserve to know more about what this means for our region, our commutes, our public transportation system and, most importantly, how much it is going to cost and who will be expected to pay for it. Your voice is important to help ensure our commutes experience the least amount of disruption. I hope you will join me.  Please contact my office at 617-722-1500 if you have any questions. More info: Allston Multimodal Project Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka | 617-722-1500 | Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov www.karenspilka.com

Office of Senate President Karen E. Spilka | Massachusetts State House, Room 332, Boston, MA 02133 Sent by karen.spilka@masenate.gov in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!

In the News: Cultural District celebration; new transit grant program pitched

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"In the famous words of author Neil Gaiman, “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” 

This was the main message Friday at Franklin’s official Cultural District dedication ceremony. And with several speakers sharing the same message, one thing became clear – Franklin residents are always being creative to make the town a brighter place. 

Franklin applied for the status last year after years of building up its programming and making the town a hub for arts and culture."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190511/franklin-celebrates-cultural-district-status

group photo with new sign at Franklin’s official Cultural District dedication ceremony

"State officials were in Framingham on Friday to pitch a new grant program that’s designed to increase workforce transit options throughout the state. 

“Transit is how we get more people to more places with less environmental impact, which is important as we move into the future,” said Astrid Glynn, rail and transit administrator for the Massachusetts Department of Transporation. 

The discussion was hosted by MassDOT, along with the Westborough-based 495/MetroWest Partnership and the Framingham-based MetroWest Regional Transit authority. About 50 people, mainly from area businesses, attended the forum, which was held at MWRTA headquarters on Blandin Avenue."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190511/massdot-pitches-new-transit-grant-program

In the News: Robert “Sully” Sullivan; Milford Regional expands; all transportation revenue options are still “on the table”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Robert “Sully” Sullivan

"For Jack Lank, president of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce in Plainville, the visual of Robert “Sully” Sullivan, in a red Santa suit and hat patrolling through Franklin in his red convertible, is a lasting memory. Sullivan used to joke that he also had the physique for it, said Lank. 

Sullivan, Franklin’s beloved Santa Claus and co-founder of the Santa Foundation, died Monday at Whittier Hospital in Westborough. He was 70. 

“It’s a tremendous loss to the community, and a tremendous loss for all the families that he has helped over the years,” said Lank, who worked with Sullivan on his Santa Foundation for 10 years, calling him a “town icon.” 

“He was one of the kindest individuals you would ever meet, and he never said no,” said Lank.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190426/franklin-town-icon-dies-at-70

Santa Foundation

Milford Regional expands in Franklin

"Things have gotten a little easier for Franklin-area residents who use services and physicians at Milford Regional Medical Center. 

The Milford-based hospital opened a new building at 1280 West Central St. in Franklin earlier this month. 

“Franklin is a huge, important part of our service area,” said Teri McDonald, vice president of public relations, marketing and communications at Milford Regional Medical Center. ”(The new building is) going to be a great improvement for the area.” 

The location consolidates four medical practices previously scattered throughout Franklin, expands the hospital’s diagnostic imaging and laboratory services, and adds an urgent care center."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190426/franklin-gets-centralized-milford-regional-medical-center-service


all transportation revenue options are still “on the table”

"Expanding road tolls across Massachusetts and to the state’s borders could be a way to generate new revenue to address growing transportation woes, Senate President Karen Spilka said Thursday. 

In remarks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday, Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, told business leaders that tolls similar to those along Interstate 90 deserve consideration for other places. 

“Simply put, and I put this out there, if tolls are a good idea for my district, my region, I believe we should explore the possibility of expanded tolling, including possibly at our borders,” Spilka said. “Our best ideas won’t matter if we can’t find a way to make a 21st century transportation infrastructure a reality — and find a way to pay for it.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190425/spilka-more-tolled-roads-deserve-consideration

In the News: School budget cuts move forward; Commuters want State to improve their commute

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

School budget cuts move forward

"Even after a $100,000 reprieve, 13 teachers will likely lose their jobs and several fees will increase next year at Franklin Public Schools due to a townwide budget crunch caused by rising costs associated with municipal services and charter school expansion. 

The School Committee on Tuesday night voted to adopt a revised fiscal 2020 school budget of $64.6 million, down about $2.2 million from an original proposal of $66.8 million that the board agreed on last month. 

The revision comes after news of the town incurring a structural deficit entering fiscal 2020, which begins July 1. Superintendent Sara Ahern had announced earlier this month that the district needed to cut about $2.3 million from its budget due to the crisis, but that number was trimmed when the town agreed to add $100,000 after factoring in a proposed increase in state aid by the state House of Representatives and the sale of library bonds. 

Staffing cuts approved include eight faculty positions in grades seven and eight, two sixth-grade teaching positions and three elementary teaching positions. Other adjustments include raising the transportation fee by $35, increasing athletic fees by $25 and adding a $150 parking fee for high school students."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190424/franklin-school-board-oks-22m-in-cuts-to-budget

In the News: School budget cuts move forward

Commuters want State to improve their commute

"Workers are fed up with their commutes, according to a recent statewide poll of registered voters. 

Of the 1,200 participants, those with the longest commutes report the frustration has led them to consider changing jobs or leaving the region, according to the report prepared by The MassINC Polling Group. Sixty-six percent say there’s an urgent need to improve the state’s transportation system. 

“The levels of frustration we are seeing in this poll suggest a significant portion of workers are reaching a breaking point when it comes to their commutes,” said Steve Koczela, president of MassINC Polling, in a statement."

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https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190424/report-mass-commuters-want-action-on-traffic-choked-roads-unreliable-transit