WALPOLE, Mass. — Tuesday night, Walpole residents were given a chance to air their grievances at a meeting about the proposed Commuter Rail stop at Gillette Stadium.
To make the stop accessible, trains will use existing freight rails and travel through Walpole four times a day in each direction.
“The people that are getting the bad part of that are the 51 home owners in Walpole, their properties values are going to go down while Foxborough Realty Associates is going to be the beneficiary,” Walpole Selectman David Salvatore said.
Last week, a meeting about a proposed 1-year pilot program was held in Foxborough.
“There’s been a complete lack of transparency from MassDOT,” Andrea Flaherty, one of the abutters to the tracks, said.
The cost of the pilot is projected to be around $20 million.
“This has shown us a way to address some constraints regarding congestion on region’s highways and to our existing commuter rail system,” MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Administrator Astrid Glynn said.
But State Rep Shawn Dooley cited studies that show it will not make money.
“This is not good for the economy. This is not good for this region," he said.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has pledged $200,000 to help make the stop a reality, but even with that Dooley said the state's priorities are out of whack.
“There are so many things we should be spending our money on than for one person and private investor," he said.
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