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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-11-LBAC-min1 Town of Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee-4/11/2024 Meeting Minutes April 11, 2024 / 7:00- 9:00 PM / Virtual Meeting on Zoom ATTENDEES Committee Member Attendees: Suzan Caihbxuan, Tom Shiple, Jim Cadenhead, Mike O’Connor, Betty Gau, Dave Armstrong Other Attendees: Susan Barrett, Sheila Page, Tom Fortman, Mike Tabaczynski, Mark Sandeen, Jonathan Bernays 1. Approve March 14, 2024 Meeting Minutes The motion was made and seconded to approve the March 14th meeting minutes The vote is in favor of approving the meeting minutes of March 14th 2024 2. Review RRFB Priority List from DPW Betty discussed the report from Ross to the Select Board on April 8th. Betty was present at the Select Board meeting and reported that the Bike Committee agreed with the priority. At the Select Board meeting the Hancock St Flasher was opposed by an abutter; the Select Board voted to defer the approval of the list until their next meeting in April. This is challenging situation where the abutter claims the flashing lights will go directly into her house; living room, kitchen and bedroom. However, this crossing is considered the Number 1 most difficult crossing on the entire Bikeway per the Toole Design Report that reviewed the safety of the entire bikeway in 2014. Three alternative suggestions were provided by Sarah: 1. In road flashers https://www.lightguardsystems.com/smart-crosswalk-in-roadway- warning-light-irwl- system<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.lightguardsyst ems.com%2fsmart-crosswalk-in-roadway-warning-light-irwl- system&c=E,1,Ind9yCFB4lI00qlL8KRsMa4N9FuhFyaHZ2- 2 MtYv1IAEcRp3WqKO1tjIvHAz53z0KhkbXT9vqU4G2sB_0SQ0YyLi- N0Pr174rF1F2mSBlafE,&typo=1 2. Speed bumps like the ones on Middleby Road by Bridge school and the trail crossing. 3. Art on roadway to slow traffic approaching crosswalk on both sides Town engineers suggested being able to aim the lights. Also to add landscaping to block the lights going into the house windows. Jim Cadenhead – What does the abutter do when cars pass? Are we suggesting that lights are okay for cars but not to be a safety light for bikes and peds. Hancock is not a slow street – cars drive fast; putting onus on the bikers and walkers Meriam Street is a family street but Woburn and Revere are placing where cars are driving 35 to 40 mph and not catching the signs on the side of the path. Want to catch the attention of people driving quickly. Tom Shiple – first choice is to stay with the flasher to have all crossing with the same solutions. The plantings when we put in the S curves will help a lot. Jim’s point that there are already car lights is an excellent point. Other solutions, such as the in-ground flashers are costly. Speed bumps are effective but the Fire Department doesn’t like them. At the Meriam Street crossing, moving the one parking space is the best solution to improve the sight lines. Dave Armstrong – the speed bumps on Middleby Road could be effective on Hancock St. I am totally in favor of keeping the flasher at Hancock Street and put a bush to help with the lights to abutter. Suzan Caihbxuan – Agrees with Jim, Tom and Dave. Would like consistency at all crossings along the bikeway crossings. Arlington has a similar flasher which is nice. A very effective way to stop the car. Keeps consistent with other bike paths. Jonathan Bernays – agrees with all the previous comments. Careful with the bushes on Hancock and coming from the west its hard to see around the bush. Maintaining clear visual lines is just as important. It’s a historical house but we should not adjust town street policies for one house. Mike Tabaczynski – Agrees with all the comments. We should push for the flasher and the speed bump. Only with fear of choosing the speed bump over the flashers. In Somerville speed bumps are popping up all over the place. Be in favor of safety of all times. Mark Sandeen– The Select Board needs to hear about safety and solutions to keep the Hancock St flasher. What would be helpful is if the Bike Committee explained that we attended and heard the abutter’s concerns and reiterated safety and have some solutions that address the abutter’s concern. Jim – It’s easy enough of us to say as Committee members is that one of the biggest comment we hear from residents is the difficulty of Hancock St. Failure to address this 3 crossing would be irresponsible. We understand there are concerns from abutters about the flashing lights but it’s our duty and job to prioritize the safety of travelers along the bikeway. Having reviewed the options, the safety crossing is to go with the suggested guidelines by the Toole Design Report and the DPW and we think Hancock should the number 1 priority. Tom – second what Jim said and would like to make a motion. Mike O-Connor - agree with Hancock as top priority – what Jim described Mike T – It seems that the flasher could be adjusted so the lights don’t flash goes right into the house. Flasher with the proper screening should be able. Dave – using the accident numbers may not be best idea. When the numbers are small the data is not very good. Toole report is better for accessing this. Jonathan – shielding the light should be considered and suggested. He agrees with Dave about the crash data. Tom made the motion: MOTION: Move that the LBAC reaffirms its support for an RRFB at Hancock St with high priority, and furthermore, authorizes the Committee Chair to write the letter to the Select Board explaining reasoning and offering alternatives. Dave seconded. 6 voted in favor of the motion. 3. Review of Roundabout bike ramps and report to Select Board The Committee reviewed the proposed document on the Roundabout bike ramps. Mark – given that the number of people on Select Board did not understand the value of these bike ramps. Dave doesn’t think paragraph needs to be added. Jim – Select Board members are saying in public things they don’t understand and don’t know about. Betty – suggest Jim write his message into an email to the Select Board. Jonathan – all the people on this committee ride bikes and have experience riding bikes. As committee members they have experience. This intersection needs access to get off before the roundabout. We confirm what the experts say. Mark – appreciates what Jonathan just said and there’s a lot of value. We also can’t leave out the people who will not bike in town because they don’t feel comfortable doing so. Jim asked Mark if we should send it out as is? 4 Mark – leaving it up to us. Betty questioned whether we should wait another month on this document. Tom suggested to have the Committee vote to allow to approve the letter and make non- substantive changes. He also suggested adding a paragraph about how we represent cyclists in town. MOTION: Allow the Chair to make the requested changes to the Roundabout Report and send this report to the Select Board. The Committee voted unanimously in favor of the motion. 4. Town Manager’s TIP Design Funds Request Letter Betty shared the March 13th letter from the Town Manager Jim Malloy to the Transportation Improvement Program Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee requesting an additional $2 million towards the design of the Route 4/225 – Route 128/I-95 interchange design. 5. Bike Parking Guidelines and By-laws Working Group Update – Tom Tom presented the working group’s plan to develop a bike parking guidelines. 5 6. Final feedback on the Bike/Ped Plan with Sheila Page Betty requested Sheila to add these general statements about Bike Parking such as Bike parking by-laws should be enforced Create a modern bike parking guideline for the town Similar to the bike parking guidelines that Arlington and other towns have. Dave – Recently looking at what Cambridge has for their guidelines but they have a very nice website about bike parking by laws and regulations; some nice informational lengths. They have a place where people can request where bike parking should be added – on the website. Cambridge is making a great model on how to inform people about bike parking. Jim – Implementation is key; making sure this plan will be implemented. The plan should emphasize the goals and something that makes the town committed to implementing this plan. And accountability into the plan. Sheila – this is part of what the Select Board needs to decide and how much of the guidelines are accepted. Whenever any street construction comes up the Town Engineers should always consult the Bike/Ped Plan. The question is if the Select Board is willing to make the Bike/Ped Plan a policy. This is a living document and it needs to be referenced. Sheila this should be reviewed annually with other town documents. Jim – There are not specific goals in this Plan. There should be some sort of reauthorization in place such as 10 years down the road the Plan should be reviewed and reconsidered. Sheila agrees. She will suggest having a reauthorization clause – we would like the town staff to refer to this document every time there is a new construction project. Sheila asked that we attend the Select Board meeting May 6th to make the suggestions. Jim – This is the framework that Paris used 20 years ago and now has more bikes than single use cars in the city. Mark Sandeen – The town adopted the integrated building review and put a 3-year review cycle. 10 years is too long. Tom – There has already been a comment made on this item on page 77 4.2 Methodology and Weighting. There are differences in the density measure but it is not taken into considerations in this table. In section 4 Introduction maybe add here the number of people being served here. Jonathan – offered a comment about the metrics which are really important. The number of Bike/Ped crashes is not a good metric because there are not enough. Near misses and traffic density is a better predictor. This is an easy thing to include in the Bike/Ped Plan. Sheila – yes, someone’s idea of a near miss differs from other people where crashes are official 6 but it’s not a great statistic to work on. Jonathan – better to use a quantity of data – 50 reported near misses. Establishing a program to report problem incidents. Part of the plan could be a calling center or website where people can report their experiences. Jim – Wants to build on this idea from Jonathan. The majority of accidents are happening to kids and they are very unlikely to report. Kids don’t want to get in trouble, etc. Recognize we are dealing with a population that probably doesn’t have recourse to report their data – kids and teens. Mark – Success is how many people are riding their bikes and how many miles are connected and separated bike lanes. What we are trying to do is have more people on the road and more people who feel safe on the road. Maybe at the end of the3 years we have more people riding. Jonathan – put active means in place to collect the data. 6 months or annually put out a survey. Send out a survey to kids in LHS and also to residents. Jim – there are tools available and Clarke and Diamond are starting a competition on who rides to school more often. Reach out to kids who have a fresh perspective. Dave – regarding the LHS bike survey – even the more competent bikers still reported near misses and dangerous conditions. Please send additional comments to Sheila Page at spage@lexingtonma.gov 7. Liaison Reports • Transportation Manager – Susan Barrett Susan reported that she sent out an email about a successful meeting with Lex Public Schools admin staff and Ram attended. They agreed to 1. Give student address data for mapping purposes 2. Approval to have a family travel survey so every family in the district will be asked to take a travel survey on modes to getting to school and why. This will enhance the Safe Routes to School program LPS was interested and open to getting bike and ped safety classes into the schools with pedestrian safety starting in 2nd grade and bike safety in 4th grade using MassDOT to come into the schools. They were open to Dept of Elementary and secondary professional development courses so teachers can take the training and get certified to lead these programs. LPS meeting – they also discussed Safe Routes to School task force would like to look closer at the language the schools use when communicating transportation information so the use of alternative modes are promoted. There are many upcoming Events – check website Lexington: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/573/Bike-Walk-Bus-Options 7 • Clarke vs Diamond competition on biking to school in the month of May with a trophy. • Bike/walk to school day • Bike Rodeo May 11 • Annual Breakfast on the bikeway Friday May 17th • Planning Board – Tom Shiple Meriam st/Edgewood Rd Development parking. It’s a good case study for our Bike Parking Working Group. There are not enough regulations for bike parking. The working group will review this. • TSG – need a new liaison; Peggy will do it for now 8. Other Business • Upcoming Bikeway Events • April 14 – Tough Ruck • May 18 – Global 6K for Water • April 15th Patriots Day Parade – starting at 1:30 pm – Please join us • Friends of Lexington Bikeways Update – Jim The Bikeway Block Party is September 15th! 8 Bikeway Block Party.org website https://www.bikewayblockparty.or Host groups have stepped up for the parks; a brass band and yoga sessions and other things getting scheduled for the block party. There is now a working group for Arlington and Bedford and they are coming on board too. Jim is reaching out to Boston to get more hosts and bring in more people. Jim attended the National Bike Summit and invited all elected officials to the Block Party. There is still federal funding for bike projects through the bi-partisan infrastructure jobs act DOT announced they have more money for bike projects. • Next LBAC Meeting May 9, 2024 – discuss meeting in person in the Parker Room