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MINUTES: December 13, 1995 Transportation Services Office
1625 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02173
Meeting Description Transportation Advisory Committee
Results Desired Decisions by Committee on Aaenda Items
Date 12/13/95 Time 7.30 p.m.
Location Room 111 Town Hall. 1625 Mass.Ave. Lexinaton. MA
Scheduled Time Actual Time
Start Stop Total Hours Start Stop Total Hours
7:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 2 7'40 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 2.67
Persons Attending
1 Sara Arnold 6 Fred Rosenberg(ex officio)
2 Ed Ganshirt 7 Peter Kelley
3 Barbara Lucas 8 Richard White
4 Bill Mix 9 Steve Hurley
5 Lorraine Pacocha 10 John Frey
Items Discussed ✓
1 7:30 7:45 p.m. Unfinished Business
a Approval of Minutes 11/15/95
b. Final comments due on Hartwell Ave. Transportation Survey No changes were suggested ✓
c D. Graham presented our recommendations for additions to rezoning guidelines to the Planning Board on
November 27 1995. The Planning Board adopted these changes at that same meeting. See enclosed Alternate
Transportation Services Policy for RD CD Rezoning Proposals.
d. B. Lucas met with MBTA Plans and Schedules Manager to discuss printing format for LEXPRESS schedules ✓
Lexpress schedules have been drafted in the MBTA format. Awaiting final copy for review and final approval
for printing from the MBTA.
2. 7 45 8:15 p.m. Request from Peter Kelley/Locke Village to change Route 5 to allow it to run into Locke Village during ✓
all or part of the day. Issues to consider include:Time allocations for Rt. 5 and timing of the change if it is approved.
Would changing this route require recombining other route combinations. Mr Kelley will make his request at the
meeting. The Rt. #5 has been timed on various runs throughout the day Times required to run Rt. 5 vary by traffic
conditions 11/10/95 12:30 run on Route 5 took 39 mins. 11/29/95 Rt. 2&5 ran 30 mins late by 11.00 a.m. (Snow)
Timing will continue during several days preceding the meeting.
P Kelley requested that the Rt.5 bus come into Locke Village. He does not believe that the route as it
currently runs on North St provides adequate service to Locke Village. B. Lucas indicated that service to
Locke Vil.could not be accomodated as an addition to the current route since it now runs between 25 and 32
mins on a regular basis. No time is available for route additions. A possible route change would be to
eliminate North St. continue straight on Lowell,turn right into Locke Village, right onto Lowell to Middlesex
Mall and proceed through the south end of the parking lot to the parking aisle in front of Loehmann's,turn
left down the aisle,and left in front of the main Caldor entrance. The remainder of the route would be run as
it is now. This would add at least 1 min 47 secs.to the current route time. B. Lucas would not recommend
this change unless it was accompanied by splitting routes 2&5 to allow catch up on a shorter route.
Even in this case,the new route 5 would run over time during peak traffic periods and inclement weather.
P Kelley made several suggestions for shortening Rt. 5 including dropping the Burlington Mall run.
Committee members indicated that the mall run was made to service Lexington riders. Some time was
spent discussing whether an existing walkway to Caldor Mall or a footpath could be maintained during
the winter to allow access to North St. P Kelley raised safety considerations. He indicated the school bus
.�� currently picks up children at the village entrance on Lowell St. The committee will take his request under
advisement and consider changes prior to decisions on the new LEXPRESS map in June.
3. 8:15 9:00 p.m. Town Manager Rick White will discuss the proposed reorganization of the Transportation Dept. ✓
into the Department of Public Works. Each of you should have a copy of the proposed reorganization that was mailed
prior to the Nov 15 meeting. Please call by Tuesday a.m. if you need an additional copy. Issues include:location,
visibility &office support. 8:30 p.m. R.White presented information on the proposed reorganization. He
that the reorg was a response to Dept request for more office coverage. Said his two choices were to add
staff or combine the dept.with DPW. He feels enlarging the Transp. Dept would not survive town meeting.
In response to committee concerns, R.White indicated that he did not intend to intermingle Transportation
and DPW budgets and that the Trans. Dept would not be moved to the DPW barn.
According to R.White 'Politically and practically,from your(the committee's)standpoint, not much will
change. He believes that staff support is available in DPW with the engineering clerk and that the DPW
staff is enthusiastic in their support of the reorganization plan. 'If it doesn't work we can always go back.
Committee members indicated they would like an opportunity to discuss the reorganization with the Director
of DPW.
4. 9:00 9:30 p.m. Steve Hurley Chair Design Advisory Committee(DAC)Working Group will be present to discuss ✓
current DAC plans for Depot Square/Emery Park and proposed locations for LEXPRESS.
Three plans were presented by S. Hurley along with various organizations' preferences.These were:
a. Placing the LEXPRESS buses behind Bertucci's;
Coop Bank prefers gives them greater visibility for 10 mins./hr. Don't like diesel fumes; bus passengers use
bank building to wait for bus; Garden Club prefers; Chamber does not prefer, it reduces number of parking
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Historic Districts Commission dismissed at time of meeting as too much of a long shot. TAC is against.
Safety Advisory Comm. Strong no from Chairman for traffic and safety reasons.
b.Widening the sidewalk in front of Warm Hearts and Cold Noses&placing LEXPRESS there
Traffic Advisory Comm OK but prefers buses in front of island; Bank of Boston and Warm Hearts are
HDC and Planning Board no preferences; Garden Club no position don't want to reduce square footage
c. Leaving Lexpress within Depot Square and developing an island to ease access to the buses.
Preferred by Traffic Safety Advisory Comm. Chamber prefers doesn't reduce parking; doesn't affect
HDC&Planning Board neutral. Coop prefers to relocate buses to side with a land or use swap. Probably
strong stand. Garden Club doesn't want this scheme. One faction of GC doesn't want buses but majority
buses should be in transportation hub. TAC favors.
Next step will be a larger group meeting in the selectmen's meeting room; then a recommendation to BOS.
NEXT TAC MEETING:January 24, 1996