Table of Contents
Preferred contact method:
tom@tomhopcroft.com or www.tomhopcroft.com
What experiences and perspectives would you contribute to Town Meeting?
I'm serving in my second term on the School Committee, where I am a former chair and current liaison to the Climate Action Advisory Committee and member of the Energy Management Committee. I've been a Town Meeting member for a number of years, representing the Pond Street side of Winter Pond. Both in Town Meeting and in my career, I've spent my time bringing people together around shared values and interests to get things done, and I look forward to continuing that work.
What are two or three issues facing Winchester that you think are most important and what are your positions on them?
Educational excellence: Winchester is known for its schools, and maintaining that quality takes deliberate investment. On the School Committee, I have advocated for investment in literacy, math, tier two supports, and added capacity in popular electives, all in a fiscally responsible manner.
Sustainability as a fiscal strategy: Smart sustainability investments, especially those that leverage outside grants and rebates, go straight to our bottom line. I was a key driver in pushing for the Lynch School to be an all-electric, net zero building, which will save the town $750,000 over 25 years, even after recouping the full cost of purchase, maintenance, and operation. In a town with a limited tax base, we should take every opportunity to ease the burden on residents while building a healthier community for our kids and seniors.
Pedestrian and bike safety: Like many towns near Boston, Winchester faces the problem of commuters who treat our roads as shortcuts. Many of our roads still carry 1960s and 70s designs that optimize traffic throughput with wide intersections at the expense of pedestrians and kids on bikes. We need to join our neighboring communities in prioritizing resident safety over commuter convenience, and do it cost-effectively, such as requiring utilities to restore roads not to the way they were but to the way we want them to be.
What is a special challenge in your precinct that might not be faced in other precincts?
Traffic on the Pond Street corridor is dangerous. Speeds have been clocked in excess of 70 MPH, and while those are outliers, the majority of cars still travel 10 or more MPH over the limit. The road only has a sidewalk on one side, so residents on the other side take their lives in their hands crossing the street. The no heavy trucks signs disappeared about a decade ago, and large tractor trailers now cannot navigate the turns without crossing into oncoming traffic. Cut-through traffic surged around 2013 when the traffic light and turn lane were added at Route 3, Waze exploded in popularity (when acquired by Google), and the no heavy truck signs came down. Pond Street is a particular hot spot, but traffic calming and pedestrian safety is a town-wide issue that needs both local and town-wide solutions. A simple start: removing the 30+ MPH signs that appear just 100 feet after the "25 MPH unless otherwise posted" signs on most roads into town.
Why should voters elect you to represent them?
My interest is in making our community more welcoming, safer, accessible, and affordable. I don't have the time or temperament for drama or gamesmanship. I believe Winchester and its residents are a real gem, and that when we come together around shared interests there is very little we can't accomplish. I look forward to working with other like-minded residents to make our town more sustainable, livable, and accessible for the next generation.
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