FTA Administrator Rogoff announced $2M authorization for commuter rail planning in Pawtucket during his remarks at the Wickford Junction Commuter Rail groundbreaking event today
This morning, Senator Reed, Congressman Langevin, Rhode Island DOT (RIDOT) director Michael Lewis, as well as other RI and MA officials joined Governor Carcieri at a groundbreaking ceremony at the future Wickford Junction MBTA commuter rail stop.
Hundreds gathered to commemorate this transformational project that will connect South County to Providence, T.F. Green Airport and Boston. While South County residents have something to celebrate, the event also marked a milestone for Northern Rhode Island. After congratulating the Rhode Island team for the success of the Wickford Junction project, Peter M. Rogoff, chief administrator from the US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA), announced that FTA has just authorized the release of nearly $2M in federal funds to RIDOT for preliminary engineering of a proposed MBTA commuter rail stop in Pawtucket.
Mayor James E. Doyle, a champion of the idea to re-introduce commuter rail into the Downtown, commented "this has been long-coming, long-expected and much appreciated." According to a Pawtucket Times article earlier this month, acting Pawtucket Planning Director Barney Heath stated this will get the project to the 30 percent design stage and that this will be the last phase before applying for a grant to start construction.
Over the last several years, Pawtucket had worked closely with Senator Reed and other members of the RI delegation to receive a 2008 earmark for the project. Following several studies which demonstrated that commuter rail was feasible in Pawtucket, and after extensive planning, the project seemed to fizzle when a number of circumstances led officials to believe the historic train station site could not support a new MBTA rail stop due to physical site limitations.
Nearly 10 months ago, the City of Pawtucket recommended a new site alternative along Barton Street between Conant Street and Dexter Street. Following a public hearing in Pawtucket, The statewide Transportation Advisory Committee unanimously recommended to the State Planning Commission to amend Rhode Island's long range transportation plan to include the construction of a new rail stop in Pawtucket.
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