HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-10-11-TAC-minTransportation Advisory Committee
Town of Lexington
Minutes for the meeting held October 11th, 2022 beginning 7 pm conducted by
remote participation.
Members present: Vinita Verma (chair) Kunal Botla, Pamela Lyons, Sally
Castleman. Liaisons present: Melanie Thompson, Planning Board, Nishanth
Veerangandham, LHS, Sudhir Jain, COA, Susan Barrett, Transportation Manager.
Former TAC member Webb Sussman, responding to information regarding
participatory budgeting emailed TAC with a suggestion regarding microtransit.
The Transportation Advisory Committee voted 4 to 0 to accept the minutes of
the meeting of August 9th, 2022.
Ms. Thompson informed us that the Planning Board accepted the “final” draft of
the Comprehensive Plan. Many of our edits were adopted in this draft. Nishanth
told us that the LHS RGS group has offered to provide data on the condition of the
MBTA bus stops. The committee consensus was that this would be helpful to both
our work on the MBTA bus stops and would also benefit Lexpress riders.
Kunal suggested that TAC bring an article to TM, independent of the budget
process, seeking more funding for Lexpress. Susan informed us that right now
Lexpress has a driver shortage (and other logistical considerations) so additional
funding would not be productive at this time.
Kunal also suggested that TAC pursue dedicated bus lanes on Mass Ave and
wherever the 76 route might end up. He also presented a construction delay issue
and there was a discussion as to how to deal with getting construction delay
information to the MBTA and who would be responsible for this and why is this so
hard now? Is this a police or engineering issue?
The Transportation Advisory Committee voted 4 to 0 to have Kunal be our
representative to the MBTA. (Note that Susan has this role as part of her job.)
Susan noted that the MBTA gave us $64,999.23. I have no idea why.
Then we discussed the proposed time change to the start of the elementary
school day and how greater utilization of the MBTA (and other transportation
modalities) could help alleviate the bus problem. This is a tricky issue. There’s lots
of buses, some are overcrowded in the morning, but then many are nearly empty
in the afternoon. There’s car congestion, which everyone dislikes, and options
appear limited for afterschool transportation for high school student. Greater
utilization of the MBTA might go some distance toward ameliorating this problem.
TA agreed to draft a letter to the School Committee and the Select Board with an
offer to work on strategies.
Kunal suggested that we cc ourselves for open meeting law purposes. Susan
noted that open meeting training recommended this.
There was some discussion of the logistics of drafting a letter to the SC and SB in a
way that would comply with the open meeting law. Kunal agreed to read out
letter at the joint SB/SC meeting on Monday if public comment is permitted.
With that we adjourned.