By John Wilson & Janet Tice

Split in two by the railroad tracks, the downtown Shirley “village” area faces many challenges. And things got even more challenging in 2021 when the state passed the “MBTA Communities Act” that required Shirley (and all communities with commuter rail) to allow multi-family housing “by right” within a half-mile of the train station.

At Special Town Meeting in November 2024, Shirley complied with the act by voting to create a new “multifamily housing overlay district” in Shirley village. As a reward for compliance, the town became eligible for generous planning grants to help it prepare for the expected population growth in the area. The first of these opportunities came to fruition last fall when Shirley was awarded $306K from the Community Catalyst Fund (CCF). The intent of the grant is to identify roadway improvements needed to ensure safety for vehicles and pedestrians in the village area.

Since the MBTA communities vision emphasizes “walkability,” with residents able to safely access the commuter rail station without a car, the focus will be on pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. That means ADA-compliant safe passage for school children, rail users, and others navigating their way along heavily-travelled commuter routes, through busy intersections, and across the railroad tracks.

Winning the grant was exciting – but it was only the first step in a lengthy process. The next step was to create a steering committee under Town Administrator Bryan Sawyer’s leadership which helped to craft the “Request for Proposal” and chose engineering consulting firm Howard Stein Hudson as the winning bidder. In addition to the TA, the committee consists of Town Planner Mark Archambault, DPW Director David Schwartz, and two members of the Transportation Action Committee. Beginning with the project kick-off meeting on April 9, the committee will provide the consultants from Howard Stein Hudson with direction and Shirley-centric input throughout the project.

The project timeline extends from the April kick-off until July 2027, with the data collection phase to be completed by mid-summer. There will be ample opportunity for community input throughout the early stages of the project, with two “pop-up” outreach sessions planned for May and June and follow-up public meetings in July and October. The conceptual design phase runs from June through January 2027 and will identify specific safety improvement projects for future implementation. In consultation with the steering committee, one of these projects (or possibly two, depending on complexity) will be chosen for further development to the “preliminary design” stage, with an expected completion date of July 2027.

There will be many opportunities to share your ideas and concerns about traffic, trains, and the challenges faced by vulnerable road users in Shirley village. Watch this space and the Shirley website for information about pop-up meetings, public forums, and questionnaires. Your input is valuable and will help shape Shirley’s future – so be sure to participate!

John Wilson is a recent transplant to Shirley, having lived here 2.5 years. He likes life near Mulpus Brook, and the rural character of the town. He is a member of the Transportation Action Committee.