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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-09-22-HATS-min Hanscom Area Towns Committee DRAFT Meeting Minutes September 22, 2016 HATS Selectmen: Peter Braun, Lincoln, Steven Ng, chair, Concord, Joe Pato, Lexington, Mike Rosenberg, Bedford Other HATS members: Margaret Coppe and Richard Canale, Lexington. Others in attendance: Lincoln Selectman James Craig; Amber Goodspeed, manager, airport administration, Hanscom Field; Kevin Kennedy, chief of police, Lincoln; David Kucharsky, Lexington assistant planner; Joseph O'Connor, Concord chief of police; Richard Reine, Concord public works director; Adrienne St John, Bedford town engineer, Kati Winchell, projects director, Save Our Heritage Local traffic management issues Mr. Braun introduced the discussion, noting that traffic issues are a major topic for all the towns and HATS is a regional resource and a cooperative knowledge base. This forum is a great way to share—not to formulate policy,but to learn how each town handles issues like volume, safety and citizen complaints Mr Pato added that these issues are a subset of regional transportation Ms. St. John outlined Bedford's staff traffic committee, with representation from the Public Works, Fire and Police Departments and the town manager. The group responds to citizen complaints. She noted that requests for closing streets or making them one way in response to commuter volume are not realistic, as they affect other residents There are also state-imposed limits on lowering speed limits on some roads Mr. Reme said that Concord also has a traffic management group, which manages a formal process for citizen complaints. There is a flow chart on the town website. Traffic calming efforts are addressed one level at a time. Mr. Reine said that data show traffic often is not as fast as residents perceive. He also noted that provisions of recent legislation will empower local speed limit changes in certain cases. Selectman Ng added that this structured process helps educate the public Chief O'Connor emphasized that his department responds immediately to complaints when safety is an issue. Rush-hour problem is a big problem, he said, Commuters are using mobile apps to discover streets that were not built for commuting. Chief Kennedy said Lincoln also has a roadway safety committee The town has been collecting traffic data at about 60 locations since 2009, which show that speeds haven't increased More public education is a key, he said. Issues like sight lines, trees or fences that deter traffic flow are identified and corrected with interdepartmental collaboration. Mr. Kucharsky said Lexington's staff committee includes representation from planning, engineering, police, schools and the Lexpress local bus service There are liaisons to the bicycle and safe routes to school constituencies. The committee has been receiving increased requests for sidewalks in response to higher volume. There are processes for reviewing proposals. He added that the department is trying to acquire school zone flashing signs with radar feedback on vehicular speed. Mr. Pato added that Lexington ran some trials on traffic code changes to verify design efforts —because of residents' disbelief. Mr Braun described Lincoln's network of paths, used for cycling and walking, He said the town is interested in political and financial issues connected to sidewalk construction. Mr. Rosenberg noted that Bedford pays for new sidewalks through the community preservation fund. Ms. St. John said sidewalk Page 2 petitions from residents are processed by the volunteer Transportation Advisory Committee . Neighborhood consensus is required to proceed; easements could complicate the unanimity. Mr Reine said Concord maintains 45 miles of sidewalks in winter, and residents have high expectations The department has a crew dedicated to sidewalk clearance Operation and maintenance costs need to be considered with sidewalk expansion. Chief O'Connor said Concord has a tremendous amount of bicycle traffic, and the department woks with cycling groups as well as young people to develop a culture of safety. The increased use of bicycles represents a cultural change, he said Chief Kennedy agreed that there is a need to educate Drivers must understand their role in sharing the road The town uses striping, as roads are too narrow for full bike lanes. Mr. Kucharsky said Lexington has data that identify where accidents occurred. Mr. Pato noted that signage is being installed on the Minuteman Bike Trail. Mr. Braun wondered if sharrows or lanes give bicyclists a false sense of security. Ms. St. John said sharrows can't be used if the prevailing speed is more than 30 Catch basins are a concern for cyclists, she added The forum also addressed speed bumps. Mr. Kucharsaky said public works and fire personnel discourage them because of response times and winter maintenance, respectively. Chief Kennedy said many drivers slow down for speed bumps but accelerate between them. Mr. Braun agreed that Lincoln's consultant has advised that they are not a deterrent to drivers Mr Canale commented that the speed bumps on Shade Street in Lexington have been effective because they were specifically designed for the road speed Mrs. Coppe commented on the importance of encouraging biking or walking to school to reduce traffic volume. Schools are working hard in Lexington to manage traffic around their buildings. She also asked about the advantages of traffic signals vs. roundabouts In answer to a question from Ms. Goodspeed, Mr. Braun said area employers are working to incentivize ways to reduce traffic volume, through traffic management associations Other business Mr. Braun reported on his conversation with Col. Roman Hund, commander, 66th Air Base Group at Hanscom Air Force Base, The commander is focused on interacting with the HATS communities, he said He also noted a proposal for installation by NBC Weather of a weather instrumentation tower on the air base near the closed gate off Marrett Road. This could be a revenue generator for the Air Force, he said. Mr. Rosenberg said the recent Hanscom Field Advisory Commission meeting included Ms. Goodspeed's report of Massport website improvements, allowing tracking of local aircraft. Data she provided showed continuing declines in aircraft volume and noise, he said. Mr Braun said Oct. 31 is the official completion date for the Route 2 improvements in Lincoln and Concord. Final surface work is underway; several new trees did not survive and will be replaced. Mr. Braun also said the towns should be aware that there may be upcoming major work on Route 2A. Plans for future meetings are. state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack in October, Col Hund in December, John C Beatty, executive director of the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, and representatives of Mass Development in January, and presentations by MITRE Corp. and Lincoln Laboratories in February. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.