Public Health Safety and Transportation Subcommittee Meeting - September 30, 2025
Public Health Safety and Transportation Subcommittee Meeting - September 30, 2025
The Public Health Safety and Transportation Subcommittee of the Framingham City Council met on September 30, 2025, at 6:02 PM. Chair Tracy Bryant presided with Councillors Christine Long and Leslie White Harvey present. The agenda included a back-to-school update, MWRTA bus network redesign, and a presentation on the opt-in special building code. The meeting adjourned at 7:00 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from August 29, 2024: Motion to approve by Councillor White Harvey, seconded by Chair Bryant. Approved 2-0-1 (Councillor Long abstained).
- Minutes from September 30, 2024: Motion to approve by Councillor White Harvey, seconded by Chair Bryant. Approved 2-0-1 (Councillor Long abstained).
Public Comments & Testimony
No public comments were offered during the meeting; all speakers were invited guests or committee members.
Discussion Items
- Back-to-School Update: Superintendent Dr. Robert Tremblay reported on the new in-house busing model, which has increased driver staffing to 72 (up from ~50 under NRT), hired 21 monitors, and reduced on-bus behavior issues. He noted improved student attendance and early MCAS data showing academic improvement. In response to questions from Councillor Wong (not a subcommittee member but present) and Councillor White Harvey, Dr. Tremblay addressed a personnel matter regarding a teacher's comments (no details due to privacy), urged families to relinquish unused bus seats via his direct email, and acknowledged ongoing dismissal-time delays due to traffic. Chair Bryant added that community groups can help identify unused seats.
- MWRTA Bus Network Redesign: Zach Jones, route planner for the MWRTA, presented the first draft of a bus network redesign. The interactive map is available at mwrta.com/redesign, with public comments accepted via map, email, voicemail, and in-person events until November 30, 2025. So far 32 comments have been received. The redesigned network includes six lines with 30-minute peak frequency, many serving Framingham. Chair Bryant suggested exploring direct routes to high-demand locations.
- Opt-In Special Code Presentation: Larry Stewart of 350 Metro West advocated for adoption of the opt-in special building code, citing health impacts from combustion appliances (asthma, particulate matter), indoor air quality, and climate goals (Massachusetts net-zero by 2050). He noted that the code applies only to new construction, requires wiring for electrification and solar readiness, and has been adopted by 51 municipalities covering 35% of the state. He countered industry concerns about cost and patchwork standards, arguing that long-term savings benefit low-income residents. Councillor Christine Long, with 40+ years in construction, cautioned that the discussion needs full council input and raised issues of electrical infrastructure and enforcement. Chair Bryant confirmed the item will be on the full City Council agenda in October 2025.
- Traffic Updates: Chair Bryant read a statement from the Traffic Department regarding MBTA grade crossing improvements at Bishop Street. Work includes new concrete track panels, signals, sidewalks, and curbing. The crossing will be shut down for two weekends in November (exact dates TBD) for trains, vehicles, and pedestrians. Preliminary work in October. A detour plan is under review. Additionally, road work on Edgel Road (Central Street to Water Street) will occur September 30–October 2, 2025, 7 AM–4 PM, for manhole and water gate adjustments, causing alternating traffic.
Key Outcomes
- Approved both sets of meeting minutes with one abstention each.
- MWRTA bus redesign public comment period remains open until November 30, 2025; committee encouraged sharing the link.
- The opt-in special code will be taken up by the full City Council in October 2025 for broader debate.
- Traffic improvements on Bishop Street and Edgel Road were noted; further details to be released.
- Councillor White Harvey raised ongoing safety concerns on Winter Street (speeding) and odor issues on Franklin Street, requesting immediate action. Chair Bryant noted the Council Chair was present and would follow up.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome. I am Tracy Bryant, Chair of the Public Health Safety and Transportation Subcommittee. And tonight is our meeting, and we will open the meeting now at 6.02. We are all in attendance. And I will do so by naming the members of the subcommittee that are here. You have Christine Long and you have Leslie White Harvey. Also they're members of the public health safety and transportation subcommittee. The agenda is as follows. It will be truncated tonight as we have other meetings to go to. And also different people would like a chance to present more material at a later date. So the meeting will be will begin with Dr. Tremblay, Dr. Robert Tremblay, who is the superintendent of Framingham Public Schools. Could you speak so people know who you are, Dr. Tremble? Sure. Good evening. Can you hear me okay? Yes, as if they know, but just in case. And also in attendance is uh environmentalist, long time environmental advocate Larry Stewart, uh of is it 350 or 360 Metro West? 350. Okay, I had it wrong. So there you go. Um there is Larry and also um in attendance is um Eddie Rodriguez. Um Eddie, would you would you like to say anything? Show you let me see. I thought I promoted you to panelists just so you could show your face. Let me see. Um you can mute as a panelist too. All right. So appreciate it. Okay. And okay, uh, Christine, I still don't know why you're on both um places, but that's okay for now. All right, so um the truncated um the truncated uh agenda is that we will have the back to school update. We will have transportation updates, um, one from the schools, Dr. Tremblay again, and also uh supposed uh there was supposed to be a member from the MWRTA team coming tonight, uh, but they're also gonna come next week uh to give results of a program that they're rolling out that they've rolled out uh to get the public opinion, get engaged, uh get some feedback from the public. Uh so either they will get on tonight or they or we'll just have to wait, but we will to uh discuss, not really discuss, but just give people a heads up as to the public participation program that they've rolled out. Um C opt-in special code. Uh uh Larry will be speaking on that. And I also have um uh comments from uh some of the builders or what their concerns are um or were and then so that'll be the main debate. And then um Framingham Traffic, I will just give the official explanation about the uh the work that the mayor mentioned that would be done by the railroad on Waverley Street, really bishop bishopslash waverly street. Um, what that really entails. Uh people were concerned, obviously about uh you know what it would do to traffic on Waverley Street. And um, and the electricity aggregation review and discussion will be pushed off to for another month. Um, and items one and three on the Framingham traffic uh item will be pushed off also. And there you have it. We shall be ending between 6.30 and 645. As always, in the standing background material, we have the Framingham School Department's website and Facebook page, the Framingham Traffic Commission's website, their regulations, um, and their uh schedule, uh regulation schedule. We also have uh the Framingham Police Department's website and Facebook, the Framingham Fire Department's website, Facebook and Twitter, the Framingham Department of Public Health website, the Department of Public Works uh website and Facebook, and um Framingham Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs website, uh, and all kinds of ways to contact them. And also the Callahan Center Senior Senate Senior Citizen website.
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