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2 <br />decided to slide the Bus Stop back a little to its current location in front of Conte’s bike shop. He <br />acknowledged that this new location is causing a few challenges. Due to the existing parking <br />spaces, the bus does not have the room it needs to pull in and out. The Town has asked him to <br />explore some options to address this concern. Ross shared a few possible alternative locations. <br />• 1656 Massachusetts Avenue has only one parking space that would need to be <br />relocated, but the bigger challenge relates to the shortness of the curb. The front door of <br />the bus is not a problem but the back door would open onto curb cut ramp that crosses <br />a driveway. <br />• 1646 Massachusetts Avenue is between 2 driveways and clear of obstructions. <br /> <br />He noted that the current stop is almost exactly halfway between the Bus Stop at Clark Street <br />and the next one by Winthrop Street. Pushing the stop further down Massachusetts Avenue <br />shrinks the distance to the next stop which is currently located near the intersection by <br />Winthrop Street. Ross offered that the MBTA prefers to have Bus Stops equally distanced along <br />their routes, but will consider alternative distances. <br /> <br />Jerry Michelson from the Center Committee also offered that while this project is not yet <br />scheduled, there is a chance that the intersection at Winthrop and Woburn Streets may be <br />reconfigured, which in turn, may require the relocation of the Winthrop Street Bus Stop. <br />discussed the Winthrop Road, Woburn Street configuration. <br /> <br />Pamela Lyons, Center Committee, also pointed to the data on current Bust Stop activity, noting <br />that the center of town is seeing more people getting onto buses, and the further from the <br />center is likely to make the stop less useful. She noted 17 people getting on at the Bus Stop at <br />the Crafty Yankee, and another dozen commuters getting on at the Conte’s Bus Stop. She added <br />further that Article 34 will produce more housing in the center over time and we should <br />anticipate an increased need for Bus support in the center of Town. <br /> <br />This discussion has a lot of moving pieces, including balancing the number of parking spaced, <br />navigating utility poles, trees and benches. All of these variables will be discussed next at a <br />meeting with the Lexington Center Committee and then on to the Select Board. <br /> <br />A Letter of Recommendation about our concerns and our recommendations is needed by <br />Thursday, August 10. The new information presented by Ross was very helpful. That said, the <br />Commission is maintains their stance that the current location is a problem that can be remedied <br />if the Bus Stop is moved back to its original location near 1666 Massachusetts Avenue. <br /> <br />Presentation by Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director, about the bike-pedestrian plan <br />Sheila coordinates the Transportation Safety Group and has been gathering input from two <br />public meetings, surveys, and different constituent groups in order to prepare the first townwide <br />bicycle/pedestrian plan, a plan designed to support a community culture where residents and <br />commuters choose to walk and bike, to safely get to the places they want to go.