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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-10-TAC-min 05/10/20221 TAC Minutes 1 Minutes Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) May 10, 2022 Place: The meeting was held remotely pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and its extension according to provisions of Governor Baker's March 12, 2020 Executive Order. The Zoom teleconferencing session was open to the public. Scheduled time: 7:00 p.m. Members Present: Vinita Verma, Co-Chair; Pamela Lyons, Co-Chair, Sara Arnold, Sally Castleman, Elaine Dratch Member(s) Absent: Andra Bennett Liaisons and Town Staff: Susan Barrett, Lexington Transportation Manager; Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director; Joe Pato, Select Board; Sudhir Jain, Council on Aging (COA); Melanie Thompson, Planning Board; Shefali Verma, Lexington Student Representative Others Present: Kunal Botla, Lexington resident, student Ms. Lyons reviewed the authorization for meeting remotely and noted that the meeting was being called to order at 7:05 p.m. on May 10, 2022. Ms. V. Verma confirmed attendance by roll call. Public Input Ms. Barrett reported on two residents who had made requests relating to transportation services: • One resident, whose daughter rides Lexpress, requested more frequent service. Ms. Barrett explained to the resident that without additional funding, this was not likely. • Another resident, who has recently moved into a memory care facility in Lexington, is experiencing dementia and travels in a wheelchair. The memory care facility does not have a contract with an ambulance company to address non-emergency transportation needs, and ambulance companies will no longer cover non-emergency requests unless they have such a contract. Insurance companies will not cover non-emergency use of an ambulance, and accessible taxis can be prohibitively expensive. It is anticipated that the resident in question would be eligible for The Ride, but this puts additional stress on a system that is already strained. It would be preferable if insurance companies would cover these costs and if medical care facilities had contracts for non-emergency ambulance service. Minutes A Motion was made and seconded to approve the April 12, 2022, draft Minutes. In a roll-call vote, the motion passed: 4 in favor, 0 against, 1 abstention. Ms. Castleman abstained because she had not been present at the meeting. Bike-Ped Plan and Vision Zero Plan Ms. Page reported, as follows: • Vision Zero Initiative: The federal government has approved $5.0 billion in grant funding for programs that will reduce/eliminate death and severe injury on the nation’s roadways. The first billion is expected to be available in FY2023. Somerville, Boston, and Cambridge are currently the only towns with Vision Zero plans. Lexington needs to develop a Vision Zero policy and develop plans to be eligible. A May 18th webinar that is open to the public is 05/10/20221 TAC Minutes 2 scheduled for gathering information. Staff is interested in establishing eligibility for the first round of funding. Comments can also be sent directly to Ms. Page. • The Bike-Ped Plan was supported by the Annual Town Meeting with an appropriation of $65,000. There is $29,000 in Transportation Network funding, which could supplement the appropriation. Vision Zero funds could also be appropriately applied toward safety measures incorporated into the Bike-Ped Plan. The Bike-Ped Plan is expected to also incorporate improvements for biking and walking that are not safety related. Infrastructure for biking and walking is important for supporting transit programs. There was discussion about the role of TAC in pursuing bike/ped and Vision Zero policies. Ideas/thoughts about safety included the importance of drivers and pedestrians paying attention; the use of cell phones was of particular concern. Other ideas included developing guidelines for prioritizing the needs for new sidewalks vs. sidewalk repairs, dedicating bus lanes near the schools, adding lights for pedestrians, and providing adequate snow removal for those walking or on bikes. Other needs identified by TAC members that would not fit into Vision Zero or a bike-ped plan included the electrification of Lexpress buses and bus shelters. Mr. Jain agreed to share the Council on Aging’s suggestions for a Vision Zero plan. Public Comment Ms. V. Verma introduced Mr. Botla, who lives in Lexington, uses public transportation to attend high school in Cambridge, and has been a transportation advocate. Mr. Botla noted that Belmont and Arlington, which are comparable to Lexington in many ways, have more transportation services--especially more frequent service--than Lexington. He is aware of TAC’s past efforts to expand service in Lexington and feels that the MBTA needs additional pressure. He supports the MBTA Route 77 extending into Lexington. Ms. Barrett reminded everyone that the MBTA is holding a virtual meeting on May 19th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss its bus network redesign. Mr. Botla suggested finding out why students don’t use public transit more than they do. He also noted that there is a national effort to establish standards for shelters. Ms. Barrett and Ms. Lyons noted that Historic District Commission requirements must be considered for a Lexington center bus shelter, and installation of a bus shelter in Lexington center needs to be coordinated with the Center Streetscape project. There was also discussion about previous efforts to consider micro- transit in Lexington. Transportation Office Updates Ms. Barrett reviewed recent Safe Routes to School efforts, including a Bike Train event at Hastings School that had over 100 participants. She needs parent volunteers for all the elementary schools. Using Draft PowerPoint slides for a Town Transportation Services Plan, Ms. Barrett discussed Current Services, Issues with Current Services, Where does the Town Want to be, and How Do We Get There? She added that many transportation needs are not being met, but limited funding restricts the ability to address those needs. While on-demand transportation is more expensive than fixed route service, getting some micro-transit in Lexington might be helpful. Ms. Barrett discussed the regional transportation efforts being explored by the 128 Business Council using Mobility Management Project funding from Mass Department of Transportation. She noted that there are a lot of players involved in developing a regionalization Action Plan that could fill in MBTA and RTA gaps. Reducing the number of providers, would assist in creating more coordinated services and reduce confusion for riders. Currently there are uncoordinated services with different eligibility requirements that result in people “falling through the cracks”. Good, safe 05/10/20221 TAC Minutes 3 transportation infrastructure is also needed. Using a Transportation Management Association, such as the 128 Business Council, helps facilitate regionalization, and regionalization should bring in partnerships that would help with funding. Ms. Barrett discussed a potential FY2023 pilot regional route that could travel from Burlington, through north and northeast Lexington to Alewife. This appears to be the most likely initial effort of this sort because Burlington is interested in participating. She said she would like to see a service that travels south. She noted that Brookhaven at Lexington has two vans that are used for its residents, and Avalon has vehicles that are used for Avalon residents and employees. She would like to explore coordination and cross-usage. Ms. Barrett noted that The Ride’s Ride Flex program is popular with eligible residents, after-school transportation needs are challenging, and on-demand service is expensive. Ms. Thompson discussed the correlation between housing and transportation. Ms. Barrett reviewed deadlines that are on the horizon: • The Community Transit Grant is due June 24. • The MBTA Suburban Grant Program application is due July 1. • Information for the Lexington FY2024 transportation budget will be needed in late summer. • Both the Lexpress and Lex-Connect contracts terminate in June 2023, which means Requests for Proposals need to be issued in time to have new prices incorporated into the FY2024 budget. Future Meetings Ms. V. Verma asked for input on the material she drafted for the Select Board regarding this Committee’s recommendation to support the Fair Share Amendment. The next TAC meeting is scheduled for June 14 at 7:00 p.m. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sara Arnold Materials used at the Meeting ● Agenda ● LexGo Town Transportation Draft Services Plan, prepared by Ms. Barrett