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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-10-13-LBAC-min APPROVED MEETING MINUTES Committee Name: Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee Date, Time and Location of Meeting: Thursday, October 13, 7 pm, Lexington Community Center Members Present : Peggy Enders (Chair), Laurel Carpenter, Carolyn Levi, Bob Dangel, George Gagliardi, Jennifer Melot, Bob Hausslein (Chair, FoLB), Richard Canale (Planning Board Liaison), Sandra Shaw (Recreation Committee Liaison) Members Absent : John Frey, Mike Tabaczynski Others Present: Sgt Paul Callahan The August 2016 meeting minutes were approved. Moving Together Conference: Jennifer and Laurel attended the September 29 conference in Boston (see attached notes prepared by Jennifer). Peggy mentioned that Melisa Tintocalis in the Economic Development office is interested in the possibility of closing off a section of Mass Ave in the Center for an “open streets” event. Laurel said that she finds the conference a good opportunity to network with people in other towns on issues of mutual interest. MAPC has developed a mapping tool that prioritizes “preferences” based on traffic patterns, destinations, etc. Bicycle Parking and the Center Streetscape: Peggy reminded the Committee that she represents the Bicycle Committee on the ad hoc Center Streetscape design review group, since bicycle parking is part of the Beta 25% design proposal. The current design proposal calls for 42 single and 5 multiple racks \[24 racks on the north side of Mass Ave (a mix of coat-hanger Triton racks and various configurations of single and multiple inverted U racks) and 22 on the south side (single and multiple inverted U racks)\]. Peggy will make a presentation to the group on October 25 and asked Committee for advice. Members agreed there was benefit to providing “group” racks like the Tritons and that the inverted U racks should be wider than the ones currently in the Center. Bicycle Accommodations and the FY ’18 Town Budget: Peggy said she reviewed with Joe Pato the draft letter from the Committee to the Board of Selectmen and then met with Dave Pinsonneault to ask about plans to resubmit a budget request for bicycle accommodations; she was told that the DPW plans to submit a Program Improvement Request for bicycle pavement markings. Based on the conversation with Mr. Pinsonneault, she will revise the letter and submit it to the BoS with a copy to the Planning Board. Richard Canale suggested that the “bicycle route” signs that are posted on various streets in towns should be reviewed for route continuity and appropriateness. He said the meaning and objective of the signs is not clear. Minuteman Bikeway Signage: Peggy said that the Toole Group plans to post some sample signs in early November. The total proposed signs on the Bikeway is now at about 90 signs; down from the originally proposed 220. Zagster Bike Share: Lexington will host a presentation by Zagster on October 25 at the Depot. Representations from Arlington and Bedford have been invited, since having a “Minuteman Bike Share” might be attractive to the other towns. In Lexington, the expectation is that the main users of the bikes would be visitors. Zagster’s estimate of the cost for a 10-bike program would be $18K/year for a commitment of two or three years. Peggy said that she would be attending a Hubway presentation hosted by Arlington on October 18. Carolyn commented that she thought this was a tourism project, and that the Committee needs to ensure that funds for bicycle infrastructure or programs aren’t sacrificed in favor of the bike share. Liaison Reports: Richard talked about the Planning Board workshop on transportation planning, saying that there was consensus from the participants about there being “too many cars that go too fast,” and that there wasn’t enough parking. In terms of the prospect of a transportation master plan, he said that at the present time there are no funds to support it. Other Business Sgt. Callahan reviewed recent bike crashes; there have been two recent : incidents, the motorists were cited in both cases. He talked about weight limits and trucks on Concord Avenue and Spring Street, saying that Lexington doesn’t have a “truck team” or scales, so any citations are generally “guesses.” Peggy said that the Tri-Town Meeting is scheduled for November 19; Lexington will host. She would like to discuss the increasing interest in electric-assist bikes. The meeting was adjourned. Record of the Discussions of the Friends of Lexington Bikeways/Bike Lexington Treasurer’s Report: Bob Hausslein provided the report, saying that funds for plowing are “adequate going into the winter season.” $300 was donated to the light give-away; $264 for the Burma Shave signs. Light Give-away: Jennifer has 865 lights to give away on the Bikeway in three locations during the coming weekend, including pedestrian clip-on and bike lights. Sustainability Fair: Volunteers are needed to help staff the tables at the Fair on October 29.