2009-02-26-LBAC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee February 28, 2009 Mr. Charles Hornig Chairman, Lexington Planning Board Dear Charles: The Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee (LBAC) has watched with interest the Planning Board’s progress this past year in formulating proposed zoning changes for the CM District as well as your proposal for creation of Transportation Management Overlay Districts. While the LBAC recognizes the importance of allowing increased business development in the CM District, we strongly favor measures to keep development interests balanced with effects on the transportation infrastructure. As the Minuteman Bikeway crosses through the Hartwell Avenue CM district, the LBAC is of course most eager to see commuters to buildings in the area afforded easy access to the Bikeway. The existing bicycle lanes on Hartwell Avenue from the Bikeway southward to the Air Force Base should be maintained. Similar bike lanes should be provided from the Bikeway northward to Bedford Street as well, or else a generous-width off-road combination bike path and sidewalk should be built on one or both sides of Hartwell to connect the Bikeway with Bedford Street. The off-road choice is preferable. A safe pedestrian and bicycle crossing at the Bedford Street intersection of Hartwell Avenue should be required. Also, the abandoned railroad spur line that connected the B & M railroad bed (where the Bikeway is) to Hanscom AFB should be considered as an additional connector for the buildings whose parking lots back onto that spur line right of way. To make bicycle commuting and bicycling in general safer in the CM district, traffic calming measures on the connector streets of Maguire Road and Wood Street should be implemented. The LBAC sent a letter to the Selectmen on January 16, 2009 recommending sideline striping practices on all busy roadways. Those practices should be applied on Wood Street and Maguire Road. The LBAC also favors zoning requirements for the buildings that will encourage and facilitate bicycle commuting by workers in the district. Adequate automobile parking to bicycle parking facility ratios should be included: a ratio of ten to one is recommended, with a minimum of two bike parking spaces for any size commercial manufacturing building. Shower facilities for bicycle commuters should be provided in buildings of a minimum size.