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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03-30-COA-min (Age Friendly Working Group)Age-Friendly Working Group - March 30, 2022 – Minutes Present: John Zhao, Julie-Ann Shapiro, Ellen Cameron, Sudhir Jain, Sandra Shaw, Betty Borghesani, Hemali, Melissa John Zhao called the meeting to order at 2:05pm • Transportation Advocacy: Senior-only parking at Community Center Group members considered whether we have a consensus on recommending senior-only parking at Community Center. If so, we will bring it to full board to vote whether to make recommendations to the Select Board. • John surveyed the parking lot to confirm Sudhir’s numbers. • In the front, there are a total 27 parking spaces, 6 for Handicap Parking. In the back, there are a total of 32 parking spaces, 3 are for handicap parking and 2 are for Electric Vehicles. Therefore, combined there are a total of 59 spaces – 48 are available to the general public, after those reserved for Handicap and Electric Vehicles. • Melissa confirmed that the EV spaces are not reserved exclusively for EV. Any car can park there if it is an open space. • John noted that senior reserved parking spaces are common, mostly in commercial settings. Any public spaces in Lexington are mixed use. • Issues raised include: Whether if there are senior only spots at the CC, what about mom’s of infants and other groups? The actual concern with CC parking is the steep hill, not the distance. When there are special events and holidays, seniors can’t find spots. Could there be reserved spaces just for certain events, or at certain busy times? Or M-F until 5 pm or 6 pm? For big events, people will have to park in the lower level anyway. • Melissa noted that Monday – Friday, the majority of visitors are seniors during the day, so it isn’t helpful to have senior-only parking when 80% of people are seniors anyway. If there is a senior lunch, they are parking there anyway, but there are not enough spaces for all 75. In the evening, there is not enough demand to leave the spaces open for just seniors. In addition, we are not close to pre-pandemic numbers so can’t tell what the actual need is for senior-only spaces, and it appears that there is not enough demand. • Working group agreed that we are still in a pandemic therefore we don’t have a good way to test this out. It is not the right time to try senior-only parking at the CC. We will report back to full board and will continue this conversation. 2) Transportation Advocacy – Increase LEXPRESS free hours for seniors: • We still need to confirm revenue and have a plan to backfill revenue loss. Need to consider other ways of funding it. • We looked into other cities and towns running buses like LEXPRESS. There are none. Acton COA has a van that charges $1 – the van is ordered, it comes to the senior’s home and drops them at the CC. Half our advance notice is required. $1 return trip. Bedford has a van that brings people to the Senior Center. • LEXPRESS is entirely different and is not an on-demand service. • Sudhir will collect further data regarding senior ridership from January – March of this year, for before 12:30 and after 2:30. Meeting adjourned at 3:00.