2014-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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TOWN CAF LEXINGTON 5 Board of continued from previous page creases in student enrollments continue to put pressure on "Complete Streets" program to fund projects that provide existing facilities, and the School Committee has created accommodations for users of all transportation modes in- an Ad Hoc School Master Planning Committee to recom- cluding, but not limited to, walking, cycling, public trans - mend responses to this increase in demand for space. portation, automobiles and freight. Throughout the Town Capital Planning in the face of municipal infrastructure we have pursued several projects to improve multi -modal needs and burgeoning school enrollment will be an ongo- transportation and traffic safety. Town Meeting approved ing challenge for the next several years. funding for advancing designs for the Center Streetscape redesign. This project will improve safety for pedestrians as Sustainability well as control the flow of traffic while refreshing the aes- In 2013 Town Meeting adopted a resolution to: (a) include thetics of the center. A parallel parking management pro - climate change in all its decisions and planning processes; gram seeks to improve availability of parking. (b) take action to prepare for the impacts of a changing In East Lexington, the three - intersections project is re- climate; (c) reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (d) de- designing the intersections of Massachusetts Avenue at velop and implement a comprehensive climate action plan, Pleasant Street, Maple Street, and Marrett Road. This re- all with the goal of making Lexington a truly sustainable design seeks to improve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular community. traffic safety as well as improve traffic operations along this The Sustainable Lexington Committee is in the process section of Massachusetts Avenue. This project has been of developing a comprehensive climate action plan for re- submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transpor- view. In the meantime, the Town has moved forward with tation for future inclusion on the State's Transportation an aggressive deployment of solar panels on municipal and Improvement Plan. school buildings (to be completed in the fall of 2014). A On Shade Street the Town is pursuing a pilot project to Request for Qualifications was also issued for a poten- test the calming effects of speed humps on cut - through tial ground- mounted solar installation on a portion of the traffic. Shade Street is a narrow lane that has experienced Hartwell Avenue Composting Facility. Lexington and considerably heavier traffic volumes as a result of commer- Bedford participated in Solarize Mass, a community group cial development on Spring Street and Hayden Avenue as purchasing program that provides incentives for home- well as traffic seeking to avoid Route 128. owners and small businesses to deploy rooftop solar panels. In local mass transit two recent Lexpress programs have By the end of June 2014 over 100 local residents entered met with great success. The after school Flexpass allows into contracts to install solar panels, triggering the grant of middle or high school students who purchase an annual a small solar installation for an additional municipal use. school bus pass to ride Lexpress for a $50 annual fee. The Senior Discount program allows seniors to board Lexpress Economic Development buses between 9:OOAM and 1:30PM for free. For many years now, the Board's policy has been to find community Outreach ways to ease the burden on the residential taxpayer by de- veloping our commercial sectors while balancing this de- In recent years Lexington has undergone several demo - velopment against any adverse impacts on surrounding graphic changes. The Town is getting older with an in- neighborhoods. In collaboration with area landlords the crease in the number of senior citizens, but it is also seeing Town secured a Federal grant to create "The Rev" a shut- an increase in the school -age population with correspond - tle service from the Alewife T station to Hartwell Avenue ing increases in school enrollments. Ethnically the Town is businesses. The Board has recommended and Town Meet- becoming more diverse, and Lexington now has the fourth ing approved capital improvements to the Hartwell Av- densest concentration of residents of Asian heritage in the enue corridor including the construction of sidewalks, re- Commonwealth. In response to these changes, the 2020 engineering of the roadway and bridge over the Kiln Brook Vision Committee recommended, and the Selectmen con - near Maguire Road, and landscaping of the traffic islands curred, that we take active steps to promote the inclusion at the Hartwell Avenue jug handle to create a gateway to of all residents in municipal activities. the commercial district. Reaching all residents includes providing easier access to in- formation about municipal governance. The Board endorsed Transportation the creation of a Chief Information Officer position to allow The Board has written to the Secretary of the Department the Town to make better use of information and to give resi- of Transportation recommending implementation of the dents more direct access to public information. To this end, the Board now makes its agenda packets available online.