Smart Growth Plan May Change Route 9

Planners have lofty goals of replacing many of the street-front parking lots and small buildings along Rt. 9 with buildings, housing, public squares and walkways, according to the Boston Globe.

This idea stretches across several towns between Southborough and Wellesley and would need to be approved by planning boards and taxpayers. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has been leading the discussions with an eye on 5-20 years down the road.

According to the collaborative that put together statistics for the council, making these changes would ultimately cut down on the increased traffic over time dramatically.

In Natick, one of the ideas includes building a road between Mill St. and the West Natick train station to the south of Rt. 9, and on the north side a direct connection to the Mass Pike.

There's also the idea of connecting Shoppers World in Framingham with Sherwood Plaza with a pedestrian bridge.

The last public meeting was just held, but now the ideas and the basic premise of the smart growth philosophy is out there.