HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-04-04-WALKS-min
Sidewalk Committee
Meeting Minutes
April 4, 2008
Attended by: Francine Stieglitz, Lucy Fletcher-Jones, Judy Crocker, Jeanne
Krieger, Richard Canale, David G. Kanter (Capital Expenditures
Committee), Jerry VanHook and Sue Ellen Briggs
The minutes of the March meeting were unanimously approved with no
corrections
Jerry reported on projects completed this past year fiscal ’07. A good
amount of work has been done with a limited budget.
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The Town Meeting will be discussing the sidewalk budget around April 15.
In fiscal year ’06 $200,000 was budgeted for sidewalks and in fiscal ’07
$100,000 was budgeted. With this $300,000 3.25 miles of sidewalk have
been repaired or added. Going forward $275,000 is proposed for sidewalks
for next fiscal year. The DPW will continue to be careful with these funds to
get the most work done with limited funds but it should be pointed out that
the “easy” work has been done. Future repair and construction will be more
costly.
Town Meeting will also be discussing Article 15d, which proposes brick
sidewalks on both sides of Muzzey St. between Mass Ave and the parking
lot entrance as part of a five-phase multi-year project in the Center.
As sidewalks are improved and repaired sometimes guardrails also need to
be improved. Guardrails are designed to protect cars and not pedestrians.
The Planning board requires guardrails to be smooth on both sides for safety
and aesthetics. (These can be seen on Adams St.) Woburn St. resurfacing,
including granite curbs and sidewalks between Mass Ave. and Lowell St.
has been proposed in the FY 09 budget.
In Article 15e a GIS (Geographic Information System) Implementation Plan
is requested for $184,350. Richard explained that this will be used to
develop a traffic calming policy and that sidewalks could be digitally added
to the maps.
Article 36 requiring residents to clear their sidewalk of snow was
sympathetically heard but did not pass.
Francine of precinct 9 would like to work together with neighbors to ask
people to clear their sidewalks of snow in winter. She has had some success
asking Precinct 9 residents to help in trimming overgrowth along sidewalks
fronting their properties.
Article 19g Safe Parent Pick Up and Parking was discussed by Judy at the
most recent Safe Routes to school meeting. There was no clear idea of what
this item is about. Judy will look into it.
Countryside Plaza is another item on the Town Meeting agenda. The request
is for converting a residential property to commercial. The committee feels
more commercial space at this location will make walking more difficult.
Also this is a path children take to get to Harrington Elementary School. It
has not been discussed yet at Town Meeting.
Judy reported that the Mass Rides April Newsletter featured a picture of
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Estabrook during their March walk day. The March 5 walk day focused on
Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Five elementary schools participated and one
elementary school and one middle school are organizing. Car counts are
taken monthly during the walk day and before or after. Bowman and Bridge
have established walkers and they participate. Other schools have growth
potential. Ben Hammer came to the February meeting of Safe Routes to
School organizers in town. He brought bookmarks.
Judy also reported on a Walk Boston grant for building community support
for the Safe Routes to School program. Judy feels the Lexington community
is already organized and supporting this program. This is not a grant for
Lexington.
The Federal Government is offering a grant for infrastructure changes for the
area within one mile of schools. Judy will apply for an assessment by May 2.
A bike rodeo will be held at Bowman on Sat April 26 from 9-12. Lucy was
led to believe that the state program running this event would supply the
personnel to run it. She is in the process of recruiting parent volunteers to
man stations and attend training.
Arlington has changed their stripping of crosswalks from angled zebra strips
to parallel to the curb zebra strips. They believe there is an advantage in the
visibility of crosswalks to drivers.
Gail Wagner is running a green transportation day and looking for support.
Respectfully submitted on June 2, 2008 by Sue Ellen Briggs