In this issue...

• Launching our New Podcast, The 495 Interchange
  
• Upcoming 495/MetroWest Partnership Committee Meetings



• Save the Date & Sponsorship Opportunities: Annual Conference 2026

• Data Center Executive Order

• MetroWest Regional Transit Authority Network Redesign Launch
  
• Calling Climate-Focused Employers: FSU Green Workforce Career Awareness Event
  
• Advocacy in Action: I-495/I-90 Interchange Project Continues Progress

Launching Our New Podcast, The 495 Interchange

The 495/MetroWest Partnership is excited to launch our new podcast, The 495 Interchange, hosted by Executive Director Jason Palitsch and Manager of Research and Business Services Tom Driscoll. The 495 Interchange will feature engaging conversations with regional leaders in business, government, higher education and the nonprofit sector on the work that they day, and the ways they strive to advance our region as a desirable place for all to live and work. 

Each episode of The 495 Interchange will feature two special guests, one from the public sector and one from the private sector. The podcast’s inaugural episode hosts CREDA Massachusetts CEO Tamara Small to discuss the state of commercial development in the Commonwealth, as well as Foxborough Town Manager Paige Duncan for a conversation on the challenges facing municipal leaders

Click here to listen to the episode on YouTube. The 495 Interchange can also be found on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Upcoming 495/MetroWest Partnership Committee Meetings

Energy and Sustainable Development Committee Meeting September 29th - Regional Climate Collaboration in Our Watersheds: The Energy and Sustainable Development Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will meet on Tuesday, September 29th at 9:30 AM for a presentation from the SuAsCo Climate Collaborative team at OARS. The presentation will explore how communities can work across municipal boundaries to address flooding, extreme heat, aging infrastructure, water resources, and other climate-related challenges throughout the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers watershed. Participants will also learn about the Collaborative's regional vulnerability assessment, watershed-scale planning tools, and opportunities for coordinated efforts. This event will be hosted virtually via Zoom; click here to register.

Transportation Committee Meeting October 20th: Transportation Management Associations: The Transportation Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will meet on Tuesday, October 20th at 8:30 AM for a presentation and discussion focused on Transportation Management Associations, or TMAs. TransAction Associates will provide an overview of the TMA model and the services TMAs can offer employers, commuters, and communities. The meeting will also discuss the forthcoming relaunch of the CrossTown Connect TMA, for which the Partnership serves as fiscal sponsor, and explore the viability of developing additional TMAs elsewhere in the 495/MetroWest region. This event will be hosted virtually via Zoom; click here to register.

CHAPA 2026 MetroWest Regional Meeting October 23rd: The 495/MetroWest Partnership will co-sponsor the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association's 2026 MetroWest Regional Meeting on Friday, October 23rd. The annual regional meeting provides an opportunity for housing advocates, municipal officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders to discuss shared housing challenges, policy priorities, and opportunities to expand housing production throughout MetroWest. Visit CHAPA's website for additional information and registration once it becomes available.

Save the Date & Sponsorship Opportunities:

Annual Conference 2026

The 495/MetroWest Partnership will host its 2026 Annual Conference on Wednesday, December 16th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston-Milford, with doors opening at 8:00 AM and the program running from 8:30 to 11:00 AM.

The theme of this year’s conference is The Future of 495/MetroWest; as the Partnership's current five-year Strategic Plan approaches its conclusion, the conference will launch a regional conversation about the goals and priorities necessary to sustain the economic success of 495/MetroWest through 2032.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available; click here to learn more. General ticket sales will open October 30th. 

Data Center Executive Order

Last week, Governor Healey signed Executive Order No. 658, which blocks the construction of data centers in Massachusetts that do not have local approval. Specifically, the order prevents state agencies from issuing permits or authorizations to a data center project with peak electricity demand exceeding 25 megawatts unless the applicant has complied with a set of state guidelines and enters into an agreement with the host community.

The guidelines, which were rolled out in June as part of the Governor's announcement pausing applications for data center tax incentives, stipulate that data centers must fund the full cost of the energy infrastructure and clean energy supply needed to support operations without raising costs for ratepayers. Data centers that are unable to generate the clean energy needed to support their operations must pay into a newly created "Ratepayer Protection Fund," which returns the money to ratepayers. The guidelines also require data centers to minimize disruption to the surrounding environment, water systems, and public health, as well as allow host communities to play a "meaningful role" in project planning and development.

In May, the 495/MetroWest community of Mansfield passed a zoning bylaw limiting the location and use of data centers, becoming the first Massachusetts municipality to do so. The bylaw allows data centers using up to two megawatts of electricity, and only in certain industrial and planned business districts with special permit approval from the Planning Board.

As part of the order, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Executive Office of Economic Development will publish guidance for municipalities by the end of this year intended to help communities evaluate proposed data center projects and engage with developers. Click here to access the full text of the Executive Order.

MetroWest Regional Transit Authority

Network Redesign Launch

On September 8th, the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) launched their new fixed route network. The result of two years of planning and community outreach, the Network Redesign intends to provide efficient, flexible, and rider-focused routes. The MWRTA has revised bus stop signs to reflect the new route numbering system, and posted full route schedules and individual route maps. Riders will also be able to track where busses are via the MWRTA Live Bus tracker on the MWRTA website or MWRTA Catch App. All student and commuter shuttle service, as well as Catch Connect service, will operate as normal. Click here for more information about the Network Redesign, as well as updated maps and daily schedules.

Calling Climate-Focused Employers:

FSU Green Workforce Career Awareness Event

Framingham State's McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning, in collaboration with the MetroWest STEM Regional Network, will be hosting a career awareness event for college and high school students to learn about careers in the fields of energy efficiency, clean energy, transportation, waste management, environmental stewardship, environmental policy, and more. The event will take place on October 21st from 2:30 to 5:30 PM at Framingham State University. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about STEM and non-STEM roles green employers offer, share their educational and career interests, and network with professionals in climate-focused industries. Employers and organizations interested in participating in the event can click here to RSVP.

Advocacy in Action: I-495/I-90 Interchange Project Continues Progress

Work on the I-495/I-90 Interchange Improvements Project, a longstanding transportation priority of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, continues apace, with the northbound ramp to I-495 from I-90 westbound expected to open in the coming days. Partnership staff joined State Representative Kate Donaghue (Westborough) and MassDOT for a site visit this morning. 

The purpose of the project is to provide a safe and efficient interchange of the interstate highways I-495 and I-90, among the most heavily-utilized interchanges in the state. The project is replacing the old interchange, eliminating the old toll booth area and weaving areas, improving ramp spacing, acceleration, and deceleration lanes, and adding an auxiliary lane from I-495 Northbound to Route 9. Major construction activities are scheduled to be completed in 2027. 


As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if the 495/MetroWest Partnership can be of any assistance to you:

Jason Palitsch, Executive Director

(774) 760-0495

Jason@495Partnership.org

Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening our region.