2005-03-14-WALKS-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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SIDEWALK COMMITTEE Minutes of March 14, 2005 Meeting The first meeting of Lexington¹s Sidewalk Committee was convened by Selectman Jeanne Krieger at 12 noon on 3/14/05. The Committee was formed pursuant to a Board of Selection resolution at its meeting on 11/29/04, its purpose being to create a committee to advise the Selectmen on policy for sidewalks throughout Town and to develop these recommendations based on broad citizen input. The committee would also draw on the recommendations of the Transportation Element of the 2003 Comprehensive Plan. The overall objective is to encourage pedestrian activity through safe and convenient walkways for recreation, for commuting, and for general use, thereby enhancing the health and well being of all.. The charge to the Committee, if warranted, would be to recommend a plan for sidewalk construction with a suggested priority list and with recommended construction standards. The placement of new sidewalks and upgrading of others would be chosen with help from the School Dept. and the PTA, to enhance safe routes to schools and playfields. Other objectives would be to develop recommendations for sidewalk maintenance, particularly for snow removal, and to recommend methods for financing the proposed plan. The Committee, about 20 in number, consists of four Ex Officio representatives of town offices,seven PTA members, a representative from the DPW , and a cross section of interested citizens from diverse neighborhoods. Length of term is 3 years on a rotating basis Monthly public meetings are planned with sub-committee meetings arranged when needed. Existing Data on Sidewalks Wayne Brooks from Lexington DPW showed a map of the sidewalks currently plowed in winter and described plans to acquire new snow removal equipment for more efficient and possibly expanded operations. He said about one third of the 142 miles of roadway in town are plowed , primarily in areas for school access but also in heavy use areas. Since plowing all sidewalks would be cost-prohibitive, Krieger emphasized the need for cooperation from citizens in snow removal near their homes and businesses and the Committee¹s important role in promoting their help.. On the sidewalks inventory, Jerry Van Hook described how the Bicycle Committee had made a town-wide survey in 2001.These data, combined with DPW records, was used to generate the Transportation Element map of 2003. He mentioned the ongoing volunteer work by the BAC on new boardwalks and other trail upgrades with help from CLC to improve pedestrian/bicycle access to schools via public lands. John Davies noted that condition of all sidewalks should be inventoried as well to identify and prioritize needed repairs.. Krieger suggested this data should be entered on the web in a map format. Craig Weeks said that GPS location of sites needing repair or other attention could be readily tied into map data to facilitate this process.