HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-18-COD-min 1
Commission on Disability
July 18, 2023 Meeting Minutes
Members: Victoria Buckley (Chair), Sue Cusack, Shaun Grady, Leonard Morse-Fortier, Janet Perry,
Julie Miller, John Rossi, Francine Stieglitz, Nancy Wong
Town Liaisons: Hemali Shah, Chief Equity Officer; Mark Sandeen, Select Board
Committee Liaisons: Pam Lyons, Center Committee
Guests: Ross Morrow, Town of Lexington, Engineer; Sheila Page, Town of Lexington; Jerald
Michelson, Lexington Center Committee
A meeting of the Commission on Disability was held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
via zoom (expected adjournment is 7:00 PM).
Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open
Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 and subsequent Orders
imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of
the Lexington Commission on Disability will be conducted via remote participation to the
greatest extent possible.
On July 16, 2022, Governor Baker signed into Law an Act Relative to Extending Certain State of
Emergency Accommodations, which, among other things, extends the expiration of the
provisions pertaining to the Open Meeting Law to March 31, 2023.
On March 29, 2023, Governor Healey signed a bill that continues remote and hybrid meeting
provisions that were enacted during the pandemic. The new law extends pandemic-related
authorizations that were set to expire on March 31 as follows:
• Allowing remote and hybrid meeting options for public bodies through March 31, 2025
Announcement
Minutes
June 2023 minutes unanimously approved.
Update on Hastings School
Victoria, Janet, and Jim Kelly connected with Mike Cronin. The decision was made to paint wide
stripes to visual signal at the beginning and end of the grade change. This striping system will
need to be repainted every year versus the installation of granite markers which do not have the
necessary level of visibility. Cronin also shared during the visit that they would be widening the
bus turn around.
Bus Stop
Ross Morrow, Town Engineer, offered a presentation of the history of the bus stop currently
located in front of Conte’s Bike Shop at 1684 Massachusetts Avenue. In his presentation, he
marked where the stop used to be (the professional building at 1666 Massachusetts Ave). He
shared that during the Streetscape a new bump-out was added near that location, so it was
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decided to slide the Bus Stop back a little to its current location in front of Conte’s bike shop. He
acknowledged that this new location is causing a few challenges. Due to the existing parking
spaces, the bus does not have the room it needs to pull in and out. The Town has asked him to
explore some options to address this concern. Ross shared a few possible alternative locations.
• 1656 Massachusetts Avenue has only one parking space that would need to be
relocated, but the bigger challenge relates to the shortness of the curb. The front door of
the bus is not a problem but the back door would open onto curb cut ramp that crosses
a driveway.
• 1646 Massachusetts Avenue is between 2 driveways and clear of obstructions.
He noted that the current stop is almost exactly halfway between the Bus Stop at Clark Street
and the next one by Winthrop Street. Pushing the stop further down Massachusetts Avenue
shrinks the distance to the next stop which is currently located near the intersection by
Winthrop Street. Ross offered that the MBTA prefers to have Bus Stops equally distanced along
their routes, but will consider alternative distances.
Jerry Michelson from the Center Committee also offered that while this project is not yet
scheduled, there is a chance that the intersection at Winthrop and Woburn Streets may be
reconfigured, which in turn, may require the relocation of the Winthrop Street Bus Stop.
discussed the Winthrop Road, Woburn Street configuration.
Pamela Lyons, Center Committee, also pointed to the data on current Bust Stop activity, noting
that the center of town is seeing more people getting onto buses, and the further from the
center is likely to make the stop less useful. She noted 17 people getting on at the Bus Stop at
the Crafty Yankee, and another dozen commuters getting on at the Conte’s Bus Stop. She added
further that Article 34 will produce more housing in the center over time and we should
anticipate an increased need for Bus support in the center of Town.
This discussion has a lot of moving pieces, including balancing the number of parking spaced,
navigating utility poles, trees and benches. All of these variables will be discussed next at a
meeting with the Lexington Center Committee and then on to the Select Board.
A Letter of Recommendation about our concerns and our recommendations is needed by
Thursday, August 10. The new information presented by Ross was very helpful. That said, the
Commission is maintains their stance that the current location is a problem that can be remedied
if the Bus Stop is moved back to its original location near 1666 Massachusetts Avenue.
Presentation by Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director, about the bike-pedestrian plan
Sheila coordinates the Transportation Safety Group and has been gathering input from two
public meetings, surveys, and different constituent groups in order to prepare the first townwide
bicycle/pedestrian plan, a plan designed to support a community culture where residents and
commuters choose to walk and bike, to safely get to the places they want to go.
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In her presentation, she shared the findings that surfaced existing bike and pedestrian corridors,
sidewalk gaps, the need for safer crossings at schools and other high traffic locations, and
interest in connecting Minuteman to Vinebrook, LHS, and the National Park.
Sheila ended her presentation by asking for questions and input. Issues that came up included:
• The importance to build awareness of the sensory issue of others;
• The need for cross walk and curb cut alignment, color
• The challenge of EVs – cannot hear them
• Getting out of some neighborhoods is a challenge to access or connect with safer
established neighborhoods
• Suggestion to create separated bike lanes – and the need for separated multi use path
Sheila offered that Part 2 is to develop the bones for an eMobility Policy. She will also email the
ppt and maps to the group after the meeting.
New Business
Extending Meeting Hours
Given the recent pattern of very full agendas, we will be extending our meetings an extra 15
minutes to run from 5:45 to 7:15 to accommodate this emerging need.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:16pm
Minutes submitted by Sue Cusack