Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-10-09-LBAC-min MEETING MINUTES Committee Name: Bicycle Advisory Committee Date, Time and Location of Meeting: October 9, 2008; 7 pm; Rm 111, Town Office Bldg Members Present: Stew Kennedy (BAC chair), Hank Manz (Selectmen’s Liaison), Mike Tabaczynski, Abe Shenker (FoLB Chair), George Gagliardi, John Frey, Peggy Enders, Jerry VanHook, Richard Canale (Planning Board Liaison) Others Present: Rich Spencer, Christine Loken-Kim, Paolo Marinelli Members Absent: Marita Hartshorn, Laurel Carpenter, Sandra Shaw (Recreation), Minutes: Reviewed and approved September 8 meeting minutes (as corrected). Issues Discussed: Snow Plowing status: Paolo reported that he had met individually with the Selectmen, spending an hour each with Norm Cohen and Hank Manz, talking with George Burnell by phone for 30 minutes. George said he was a daily trail user and would personally like to see the bikeway plowed but expressed concerns he wanted to discuss with the DPW. Paolo reported that Peter Kelley would be willing to add it to an agenda and that Jeanne Krieger is supportive, as well. Stew then led a discussion about next steps. Hank said he needed a cost estimate from the group as well as parameters and help to develop a strategy for th an October 20 meeting. A cap was discussed, based on Arlington’s experience (12 plowable events, $2,500). There was some discussion about the costs involved with removing the bollards and the flanges, as well as whether the remaining holes would be a problem. Stew said there were some issues with the Conservation Commission regarding piles of snow and sanding. Mike moved that a proposal be put to the town that $4,000 be allocated to plow the bikeway for the 2008-09 season; this motion was seconded and approved by all. Lane Striping Problems and Recommendations: Jerry talked about the ongoing work on Wood Street and the fog lane striping being proposed, saying that the fog lanes generally striped in Lexington generally don’t allow much room for bicyclist. Twelve-foot travel lanes are the rule when painting is done, although state regulations allow lanes between 9.5 and 12 feet: “Lexington tends to go wide.” He showed pictures of the current roadwork and plans for striping on Lowell Street and asked that the group support a more general policy of creating bike lanes where possible. An additional benefit would be to calm traffic, since narrower lanes tends to produce cautious drivers. Rich Canale suggested that the committee develop a prioritized list of streets that they are identified as important routes and good candidates for wider fog lanes. Hank said, “you have the ear of the Selectmen: and asked that they be given a list. After some discussion about town striping practices (e.g., some pushback from Engineering and the preference of the police not to narrow main streets), a motion was made to ask the town engineering to widen the fog lane line for the remainder of the Lowell Street striping and for Woburn and other streets in progress. The motion was seconded and approved. Safety Issue at the Intersection of Mass Ave and 2A: At the September meeting, Abe had reported on the safety problem for bicyclists on the westbound side of Mass Avenue at its intersection with Marrett Road. The problem resulted from the lane striping done by the state to create a left-turn lane there. Abe agreed at this meeting to write a letter to the Selectmen and the Traffic Mitigation Group about this problem and, in consultation with LBAC, it was agreed that a request for a short-term fix be put in place. Joyce Miller’s Meadow Sign: Mike requested that the committee approve a sign on the Bikeway at the entrance to the meadow. A motion was made, seconded and approved. Leadership Election: After saying that after six years it was time for him to step down as chair of the committee, Stew nominated Peggy Enders for consideration as the next chair. There were no other nominations. The nomination was approved. Meeting adjourned. Record of Friends of Lexington Bikeways discussions. Treasurer’s Report : Rich reported the current balance as $2,643.73, including $525 in tributes to Charles Herlihy. He anticipated upcoming expenses from the Hall of Fame celebration (tee shirts, the banners and bookmarks, etc.) and suggested that the Herlihy contributions be acknowledged. Abe agreed to write these notes. Improving Community Outreach: Although Laurel wasn’t present to lead this discussion, suggestions were made about ways to raise the visibility of the FoLB mission. The Hall of Fame solicitation and celebration demonstrated that people are interested in bikeways in Lexington, the challenge is how to involve them. Suggestions included the following: a new membership drive; regular newsletters; a questionnaire to new members; an effective content-managed website; regular updating of mailing and email lists; an FoLB annual meeting (“come on down!”). Other Business: It was agreed that at the November meeting, we would discuss ways to spend the money received by FoLB through donations, new memberships, and the Herlihy tributes. The next 4-town meeting should take place soon, and it was agreed that Bedford should be reminded that it is their turn as host. Finally, Abe agreed to create FoLB stationery letterhead. Meeting adjourned Information Distributed: ?? Draft minutes from September meeting Recorders: Abe Shenker and Peggy Enders (Peggy Enders, editor) Next Meeting: Scheduled for 7 PM, Thursday, November 13, 2008 in Room 111 of the Town Office Building