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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01-11-LBAC-min Town of Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee-1/11/2024 Meeting Minutes January 11, 2024 / 7:00- 9:00 PM / Virtual Meeting on Zoom ATTENDEES Committee Attendees: Dave Armstrong, Sarah Hews, Betty Gau, Jim Cadenhead, Mike O’Connor, Tom Shiple Also Attending: Peggy Enders, Mike Tabaczynski, Ross Morrow (Town Engineer), Sarah Socolosky (MWRA), Paul Rullo (MWRA), Will Walkup (MWRA), Troy Wall (MWRA), Mark Sandeen (Select Board) 1. Approve December 7, 2023 Meeting Minutes The Committee voted to approved Minutes. 2. MWRA presentation on bikeway closure and proposed bike detour plan MWRA was challenged by the Committee to mitigate impact of the bikeway construction Mitigate would be to do the construction in the winter when usage is less. MWRA suggests they break construction into 2 phases Maple Street ramp and start with pipe construction They need truck access from Bow St to Foller St. There will be dump trucks full of soil on the bikeway, full of gravel and front-end loaders Ellen Dana Court is a private road and we would have to get approval to use that road and make improvements to widen it and improve it – get approval for use and temporary easement. Betty asked who in town they reached out to and how did they determine there wasn't support. Their response what engineering and traffic in town. They also think that having emergency vehicles only respond in one way and the other having to do the detour isn't a good idea. Alternative 2: Safety for a protected, contra flow bike lane What if we detoured traffic off Mass Ave Detour would be on Follen Rd Then could do a 2-way protected bikeway Challenges – MBTA Bus route 62 Town has jurisdiction over the roadway General consensus from the Town is detouring traffic off Mass Ave doesn’t have town support? Betty asked how they determined there was no support from the Town – Answer is the initial consultation with Engineering and Traffic Department Alternative 3 – Initially looking to construct in the winter but the lex 2025 then they created an alternate scheduled of construction after 2025. Now they looked at starting Maple St right after Lex April 2025 and then do the bikeway usage from Nov – May in 2025 Weekend usage is about triple the weekday use – Then it would be possible to open the bikeway to weekend traffic – creating a surface RAP – and create signage When bikeway is restored, it will be 12 feet wide and RAP will be on either side Permanent restoration is to duplicate 12 foot wide with 2 feet RAP on either side of the paveway Temporary weekend will be back to 12 feet also Open the bikeway on weekend Implement the bike lane detour as designed – Paint roadway bike lanes green – both existing and proposed Add safety measure – temporary signalled crossing – flashing crosswalk at Maple and at Bow From Bow to Pleasant they are proposing temporary lanes that can be painted green Open Discussion: Dave Armstrong - Asked about the signage to clarify bikeways users can use sidewalks - Response was yes! and police details... also modifying signs can be flexible and be done later (we have time to figure out how to do that well... will work with the safety group to do that) Peggy - Asked about whether bike lane from Bow Street to Pleasant is outside of parking. Response was yes. Peggy said let's leave that after the construction is over. Paul said that we can decide to keep it when construction is over. - Pointed out that May is a very busy month for biking. Response is that the permanent paving can't go down till May and it's difficult to make promises on dates due to the weather. Schedule engineers have is that the schedule goes into May. Limiting factor is availability of hot asphault. Jim Cadenhead - Question: Does finishing Maple Street have to happen before bike path starts? Response is that they have to be off Maple Street by Nov 15 (and can't start till after Patriots Day). Could we start bike path earlier in Nov? Perhaps. Apparently Lowell went way over projected estimates. That statement was refuted - apparently it was right on schedule. They had challenges with MASS DOT - wouldn't let them do final paving till this winter (have to wait 90 days before final trench restoration. Question about clarification on projected finishing times. Paul said that Burlington/Arlington? did a project on the other side of the school and that MWRA work was done. Paul made it clear that if there is any problem, they'll stop in May, pave and restart next winter. Tom Shiple - Thank you for being creative and mitigate the impact. Appreciate the addition of flashing cross walks on Maple Street. Question about an area where it's narrow on westbound Mass Ave just before Pleasant St, but asked about what the final solution is there. The response mentioned a two-way lane that's not really a viable option. Tom asked about the parked cars blocking the bike lane on eastbound Mass Ave in front of Wilson Farm; Ross acknowledged the parked cars. Dave Armstrong - Questions about who we communicate concerns with about signs, paint, etc. Response was that they will meet with the committee as needed but also we can talk to town safety committee? town engineers, etc. Communication channels are open. Tom - pointed out parking as soon as bike lanes stop (past Wilson Farms?). Ross said bike lanes will be extended and explained the distance from the yellow line and width of bike lanes and parking will resume once there's space. Peggy - pointed out that she didn't realize they were bike lanes, just shoulders. Betty asked about when bikeway is done, will they put any root barriers down? Answer - it's not currently in plan but would be easy to add. Tom asked about how we proceed on the proposal. Betty suggested we think about it and discuss this at our next LBAC meeting. Brief comments about the importance of signage from Peggy. Jim made a motion to discuss and decide at our February meeting. 3. LHS Student Parking and Worthen Rd Bike Lanes - Tom https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NZTyHsUhRotKBRiAmxipxkBGbs8IZIC7FJf16U_K8Dg /edit?usp=drive_link Tom introduced this idea and with the proposal to move the LHS when it’s newly built then the walk from the Lincoln parking lot is much shorter. Parking is on both sides of Worthen and it’s almost exclusively student parking It supports about 180 cars during the school hours - Relocate parking from Worthen Road to Lincoln Park. Previously the distance was 'too far' but with the new high school being moved closer, it's more of an option. Construction period is expected to be 2026-2030. Option to start it earlier to allow for construction vehicles. Lots of the details are in the proposal.... won't rewrite! Lincoln Park master plan. Tom has been advocating for access points from Lincoln to the path. Sarah - The path from Lincoln needs to be plowed better and the drainage issues need to be addressed to resolve the ice issue. - Question about where the bike path would be. Ross said that the widening of the sidewalk can be very expensive but that is a plan and while some are resistant to doing a bike path before the high school is done, it actually shouldn't impact them that much (other than a driveway). Jim said that we should push for bike path while we have active students who can help push for it. Betty shared the path that she takes and there might be existing options. Questions about whether they are ADA accessible. Peggy - likes the idea of students parking at Lincoln and exercise but the concern is that the parking lot is sketchy for new drivers and parking spots are too small for the size of cars. Dave - had a question about the cost for expanding sidewalk... suggested 1/2 million to just do one side and keep parking on one side. Suggested planning with the new school. Suggested that they park there anyway... Tom said they'll pick closest every time. Mike O'Connor - doesn't see the different between marking at on the street vs. Lincoln. Said we don't have a responsibility to figure out parking for students and shouldn't feel like we provide parking for students. Said this isn't our problem to solve. Tom - was curious if we could add lights to path to Lincoln fields. Ross said they're likely to push back. Then said that the high school shouldn't have parking in front of it. Mike O'Connor - said we should include it in the bike/ped plan push for Worthen Rd. Sarah had comments about lights on the path and also supporting that we should put this in as a suggestion for implementing worthen road bike lanes. Jim thanked Ross for his perspective and attending. Betty clarified this Tom asked if we should pass a motion and write a letter with some urgency to give to the Lincoln Park master plan. Suggested Mike write it. Mike is amenable. Suggested we seek feedback for stakeholders. Sarah just asked for some clarification on what would be in the proposal. Peggy suggested we specify what we are asking for which is a raised cycle path. We all agreed that Tom and Mike will draft a letter and socialize it with the stakeholders and get their feedback before sending it to the select Board. The letter to SB with LBAC supporting the first priority of the Worthen Rd bike lane. Tom made the motion that he and Mike write a letter to the Select Board that LBAC proposes eliminating some parking along Worthen Road to allow for a bike lane in support of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan recommendations. Furthermore, to explore the idea to use the Lincoln Park parking lot for any parking displaced from the Worthen Road bike lane. The motion was seconded and the committee unanimously voted in favor. The motion passed. The committee tasked Tom and Mike OC to write a letter detailing this concept . 4. Bikeway Festival – Jim Jim is planning a bikeway festival for September 15 – Sunday Bikeway Bonanza 2024 A one-day festival along the Minuteman Bikeway using the parks along the way to host interactive arts and crafts exhibits, demonstrative wellness and fitness programs, bands and music, fiddlejam, drum circles, etc. This is being sponsored by the Friends of Lexington Bikeways (FOLB) Working with Arlington and Bedford Idea came about based on Ciclavia, started in Bogata and took route in Los Angeles Currently looking for volunteers to organize venues, volunteer at the event and looking for volunteers to be on the Steering Committee We would like to have food trucks along the route Looking to Rev Hall to be a venue Peggy – MAPC support Metro Area Planning Council Land line – connecting all the trails and pushing regional place making MAPC is funding projects designed to enhance art in communities along the trails in the metro area of Boston Not just traditional arts but also bands, bluegrass jams, square dancing, fitness and wellness classes Live Zumba or yoga that one can participate and to get there using the bikepath Jim has talked with Economic Development QUESTION – have you submitted a permit request yet? Will LBAC support this? Sarah Hews made the motion that the LBAC supports this Bikeway Bonanza event. Dave seconded it and the committee voted unanimously to approve the support. Jim will send the Committee members a write-up to pass this along to others in town 5. Other Business • Friends of Lexington Bikeways Update – Peggy Now has a Board meeting every other month Still need a Board member vacancy Bikeway map is being revised Adopt a section of the bikeway is a program being explored • Bike Breakfast – May 17th – per Susan • LBAC Meeting February 8, 2024 – 7:00 – 9:00 • Tri town Meeting February 21, 2024; Lexington hosting • Agenda Items? • Signage • Speed Limit