Woburn council hears $17M downtown safety project update; $450,000 transfer referred to finance

Consultants and city staff told the Woburn City Council on March 19 that the long-planned downtown traffic safety improvement project is programmed on the Boston metropolitan planning organization's Transportation Improvement Program at roughly $17 million and that the city must reach a 25% design milestone to remain ready for funding.

Mayor (identified during remarks) said earlier work funded conceptual design and that the project's safety focus helped secure TIP programming. Rich Benevento of Ty and Bond and city engineer Jay Kory described the next technical steps: a traffic study, an ICE (intersection control evaluation) analysis, several submittals to MassDOT, and an extensive public-outreach program with downtown merchants, residents and interest groups.

Benevento said consultants anticipate submitting a 25% design package in November or December 2024 and holding an official MassDOT design public hearing about March 2025. He warned that the schedule is contingent on MassDOT reviews and that some items will require design exceptions or waivers. Kory and Benevento said early tasks include ICE analysis this month, public outreach in May and June, a pre-25% review in June or July and subsequent 75% and 100% submissions through 2025 into early 2026.

Councilors pressed for more detail on management, staffing and outreach. Councilor Brown asked who would manage milestones and how the city would support public engagement; consultants said they would lead outreach and described plans to advertise meetings on social media and through emails, and to meet downtown stakeholders in-person. Council members asked that the city provide a clearer milestone checklist before voting on design funding so the council can help with outreach and oversight.

Separately, the council read an order transferring $450,000 from the city's unreserved fund balance to the downtown safety project account and voted to refer that matter to the Committee on Finance for further consideration. No funding appropriation was enacted at the meeting.

Next steps: the consultant schedule was accepted into the permanent record; the finance committee will review the $450,000 transfer request and the city will continue public-engagement planning ahead of the 25% submittal.