HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-10-02-AHTC-min Town of Lexington AdHoc Transportation Committee Meeting
Wednesday, October 2nd 2023 ( 9am to 10am
Zoom Video Conference
Meeting Minutes
Present: Susan Barrett, Sally Castleman, Howard Cloth, Sharon Gunda, Varda Haimo,
Carolyn Kosnoff, Joe Pato, and Deepika Sawhney.
Deepika called the meeting to order via Zoom at 9:03am.
The meeting was called to order with all attendees present confirming attendance.
The meeting focused on key points such as the need to invest in Lexpress to better
serve the community, particularly the most vulnerable residents. The current budget is
$750,000, with additional costs due to fuel price increases. Recommendations included
adding new routes, improving services for seniors, and piloting a demand response
vehicle pending grant funding. The committee discussed the importance of a multi-year
budget commitment and the need for a realistic budget estimate, suggesting a range of
$250,000 to $150,000 for marketing and operational improvements. The Select Board
will review these recommendations for FY25.
Deepika shared the presentation slides, noting there are six main slides and some
introductory slides. The committee discussed the definition of vulnerable populations.
There was some discussion on operational costs and budget considerations such as
additional costs due to fuel rate adjustments. The idea of a pilot demand response
vehicle pending grant funding was discussed.
Recommendations for Lexpress Improvements included improved services for seniors
and the most vulnerable, and better signage. Discussion continued on the need for a
marketing campaign and the potential costs involved. The group agreed to support the
pilot demand response vehicle idea pending grant funding. The need for a realistic
budget and the potential costs of adding new routes or increasing frequency were
discussed too. The group agreed to set quantitative goals for Lexpress and explore
shared costs with the school transportation budget.
The group then discussed the logistics of the presentation, including who will speak to
each slide.The group settled on the order of speakers and the key points to be covered
in the presentation. There was emphasis on the need to keep the presentation concise
and focused on the main recommendations.The group planned to meet again to finalize
the presentation and ensure all points are covered effectively.
Meeting Adjourned: 10:27 am
(meeting notes prepared with Al assistance)