HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-12-05-WALKS-min
SIDEWALK COMMITTEE
Minutes of December 5, 2005 Meeting
The Lexington’s Sidewalk Committee meeting was convened by Chairman
Craig Weeks at 12:10 in the Selectman¹s Meeting Room. Twelve regular
members and three advisors were present. It was MSP that the Minutes of the
November meeting be accepted as submitted.
1. Mr. Weeks described the Bridge safe routes to school, the sidewalk
repair requests and the sidewalk snow plowing priority schedules to be sent
to the Town DPW and asked for a committee vote on approval. This was MSP
after some discussion. He showed a map of the Bridge school area with the
safe routes, pointing out that there was a gap for students walking to
Bridge school from SW of Marrett Rd that needed attention.
In the discussion, Ms Herbert described how consultations with Bridge
school administration and PTA had been used to choose a small number of safe
walking routes, realizing that the resources of the DPW would have to
stretch to include this extra sidewalk plowing. Ms Herbert suggested that
bus stop signs be made up to indicate these sites for parents and bus
drivers. Several members noted that some school districts, Fiske as one
example, were making unrealistic demands for the limited DPW sidewalk
plowing resources. At Fiske, Ms.Guttag said the need was not for sidewalk
plowing this year but for plowing out safe standing ground for the many
students who were being bussed to Harrington in this transition year On the
other hand, the point was made that because Fiske students are being bussed
out of district does not mean that their bussing issues are any different
from any of the other schools with regards to bus stop accessibility. All
schools have the same needs as relates to bussing when it comes to
weather-related safety concerns.
To meet this problem, Ms Cecere offered to develop a list of school bus
stops town wide for the DPW. She was told that it would be better to allow
the individual school administrations to deal with DPW via the
superintendent¹s office and the bus company on these issues After some
discussion a subcommittee was created to help generate a town wide bus stop
list which would then be submitted the school superintendents for review.
On the subcommittee Ms Crocker, Ms Guttag, Ms Cecere. Ms Guttag asked that
Susan Bruce from Fiske PTA be included on the subcommittee.
Ms Krieger said she agreed that bus stops with 5 or more students should
have plowing priority for safety reasons, that sidewalk plowing near active
schools should continue as before, but that the Bridge pilot program was
critical and should get priority in any extra sidewalk plowing called for in
the pilot program. She said that this program will eventually spread to
other schools, the first of which being those districts that showed
organization and strong voluntary participation. On the issue of how DPW
work on sidewalk repairs and snow plowing is prioritized, Mr. Weeks said he
would ask Wayne Brooks to explain how these questions were decided upon at
the next LexSWC meeting.
2. Committee was asked to agree to a SWC recommendation to the Planning
Bd to apply the $45 K offered by the developer at 40 Middleby as mitigation
funds for repaving the Lincoln Field path from Middleby Rd to the fields,
particularly fixing the drainage problem at the western edge of the play
fields, to improve the sidewalk south of the school and/or for use on other
expenditures in the school district. LexSWC voted for approval recommending
however that funds be used for capital improvements, not for. sidewalk
maintenance or snow removal. Ms Lazarus and Ms Baci raised concerns about
the 8000 sq ft house at 40 Middleby as regards adjacent wetlands and
driveway access. They will attend the PB hearing.
3. Mr Weeks asked for and received approval from the committee for a
LexSWC recommendation that the town appropriate funds to build about 600
feet of new sidewalk connecting existing sidewalk on Prospect Hill Rd to
sidewalk existing on Marrett Rd, approximately $9K being a rough estimate on
cost, if feasible, given the number of trees and utility poles presently in
the town¹s right of way.
4. It was agreed that the Traffic Mitigation and Traffic Advisory
committees are the appropriate bodies to address the cost of signage and
lighting relating to crosswalks, and pathways.
5. A subcommittee for evaluation of ways to mitigate auto traffic speed
on critical streets was discussed. Pleasant St, Lowell St and Spring St
were named with considerations including but not limited to sidewalks. this
subject is within the domain of the recently formed Traffic Mitigation
Committee Ms Krieger mentioned the need for one or more SWC members to
join and Ms Cecere agreed to be our rep on this committee. Ms Baci
volunteered to be her backup person.
6. A motion to make a formal request to police to enforce the state
crosswalk law, now enforced in town center, to include pedestrian crosswalks
in the school districts, was postponed.
7. The current appropriation for sidewalk repairs and maintenance of
$150K for this year¹s town meeting was discussed. The LexSWC voted to
approve an increase to $200K to allow for costs of new sidewalk
construction, including those recommended at this meeting, to be included
annually and be escalated each year based on true cost.
8. In reviewing the Bowman SRTS activity, Mr. Weeks emphasized that this
school had shown strong interest in the original survey and could logically
be next in line after the Bridge pilot program. The PTA board at Bowman
voted in November to participate in SRTS in the spring of 2006. the Bowman
principal, Steve Flynn is fully on board with this program.
9. Discussion centered on a public awareness campaign to make homeowners
realize that each residential street had a right of way and that shrubs,
fences or other impediments to vision or pedestrian access are not legal and
may create hazards to public safety. Mr. Davies, the PB rep, said that the
ROW does not always center on the street when rock outcrops, protected
roadside trees, or other objects alter conditions.
10. Ms Fletcher-Jones reported the web site was alive and ongoing,
thanking those who contributed. It should now be linked to other
neighborhood groups and town organizations like LBAC and CLC that have
interests in pedestrian access. Ms Lazarus reminded us that the interest in
pedestrian access includes all citizens who use our sidewalks and paths,
not just the school population.
11. See item! above.
12. Ms Stieglitz passed out a spread sheet on her disposition of letters
of response to the LexSWC from the web site or from communication with
Lexington town offices. She was commended by all for this important link to
the public.
Meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM. The next LexSWC meeting will be on
Tues, Jan 3rd (Mon is holiday) at 11 AM in the Selectman¹s meeting room.
Jerry Van Hook