Monthly Archives: May 2016

Last night Town Meeting voted to approve Article 23, which will allow the Town of Milford to enter into a one-year contract with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) to provide fixed-loop bus service in Milford on week days.

Although Citizens for Milford had hoped that Town Meeting would defer the vote until the fall, we appreciate the creative efforts of the Board of Selectmen and of Representative Fernandes to dramatically reduce Milford’s financial obligation for the first-year pilot program. In conjunction with the CHNA grant, Milford’s obligation has been reduced from $250,000 to only $50,000. We also appreciate the Board’s plan to review progress of the pilot program at regular intervals.

Citizens for Milford recommends that Town Meeting members pass over Article 23 at Town Meeting on May 23.

Article 23 proposes that the Town of Milford enter into a one-year contract with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) at a cost of $250,000 to provide one  bus traveling on a fixed-loop in Milford Monday-Friday on a 13-hour schedule. The bus would be capable of transporting a maximum of 16 passengers, with a maximum of 14 passengers if a wheelchair is on board. The bus route has not yet been determined. A $75,000 grant from the community outreach arm of Milford Hospital is available to reduce the cost to Milford in the first year. A second grant, which would apply only to the first year of operation, is pending in the state legislature. The current proposal does not address the need for infrastructure improvements (sidewalks, crosswalks, shelters, etc.) and their associated installation and maintenance costs.

By asking Town Meeting members to pass over Article 23, Citizens for Milford simply requests that the Town take additional time to conduct a complete analysis of the transportation needs and all potential options for meeting those needs. If Article 23 is passed over this month, a new public transportation article could be considered at fall Town Meeting.

Our official statement, as included on the letter we have mailed to all Town Meeting members, is this:

Citizens for Milford recognizes the demand for increased public transportation options in town, but we are not confident that the current MWRTA bus proposal best meets the needs of all Milford residents in a safe, efficient, cost-effective way.

We recommend that Town Meeting members vote to pass over this article until the needs of all residents are fully explored and all transportation options are thoroughly vetted to ensure we can make a well-informed decision about public transportation in Milford.

For more information (including the complete text of Article 23, the letter to Town Meeting members, and our two-page analysis flyer ), visit the Public Transportation 2016 page.

Note: Both pages of the informational flyer were updated to reflect the changing nature of the MWRTA bus proposal on May 13, 2016. If you downloaded these files previously, please take a moment and download the updated files now available on the Public Transportation 2016 page.

Citizens for Milford was pleased to host Congressman Joe Kennedy III at our public meeting on May 3, 2016,  titled “A Conversation with Congressman Joe Kennedy III.” About 50 Milford residents attended this informal question and answer event. Following opening remarks by the Congressman regarding his work in the U.S. House of Representatives, attendees were invited to pose questions. Questions ranged from tackling the dysfunction in Congress, to the treatment of people with disabilities, how federal arbitration is used to deny rights to consumers, the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, and immigration issues.

Asked by a Milford resident what we as constituents can do to help move things along in the midst of a dysfunctional Congress, Kennedy answered, “You get out of government what you put into it. If you don’t vote, how are you sending a signal to Washington as to what we are supposed to care about?… We can move the country forward by having everyone make their voices heard.  …  Make your voices heard, and make us accountable.”

Milford TV video recorded the event, and we will post that video as soon as it is available. The event video will also be broadcast on Milford TV.

You can read more about the Congressman and his policies on his website Kennedy.House.gov.