2016-01-14 LBAC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROVED MEETING MINUTES Committee Name: Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee Date, Time and Location of Meeting: January 14, 2016, Community Center Room 217 Members Present: Peggy Enders (Chair), Bob Dangel, Laurel Carpenter, John Frey, George Gagliardi, Carolyn Levi, Bob Hausslein (FoLB Chair), Sandra Shaw (Recreation Liaison), Richard Canale (Planning Board Liaison) Members Absent: Marita Hartshorn, Mike Tabaczynski Others Present: Jennifer Melot Review November Meeting Minutes: The notes were approved as amended. Master Plan for Bikeway Signage: Peggy reported that the Committee will hear the recommendations of the Toole Design Group some time before the 25 per cent design plan is forwarded to Town Meeting for CPA funding. Bike Lanes: The Committee heard a summary of what was discussed and decided at the January 11 Selectmen's meeting about the East Mass Ave Roadway Improvements project. Bob Dangel then talked about roadway layout alternatives that might improve on the current plan for bike lanes in terms of the distance between the bike lane and drivers' parked side doors. He described the current BSC design: 11 foot travel lane, a 5- or 6 -foot bike lane, 7 foot parking lanes, and 6 feet of sidewalk, totaling a 60 -foot right of way in the corridor. The Committee reviewed the pictures of a variety of roadway widths and bike lane /parking lane layouts between East Lexington and Cambridge (including a 9.5 foot travel lane in Somerville with signage stating, "Bikes May Use Full Lane "). He concluded saying that he thinks there is space for a safer bike lane if all 30 feet of the right -of -way can be used. Richard said that "bike lanes are a given," since MassDOT is funding the project to include bike lanes and improved pedestrian crossings. The Committee agreed to move forward with a recommendation to improve the buffer zone between parked cars and cyclists with a 10.5 -11 foot travel lane; a 4 -4.45 foot bike lane; a 3 -foot buffer zone; and a 7 -foot parking lane. The Committee agreed that bike lanes are preferred over sharrows in the corridor. Bob said that the lanes in Cambridge and Somerville "have a very positive effect in telling cars to not drive to the right." Laurel agreed, saying that bike lanes send a different message than sharrows.