HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-08-LBAC-min.pdfTown of Lexington
Bicycle Advisory Committee 5/8/2025
May 8 2025 / 7:00 PM / via Zoom
Members present:
Betty Gau, Tom Shiple, Jim Cadenhead, Dave Armstrong, Suzan Chen, Jonathan
Bernays, Jonathan Schwarz
Also Attending: Jason Dearling, Susan Barrett (Lexington Transportation
Manager)
Guests: N/A
1. Motion to approve April 10, 2025 LBAC meeting minutes was approved
2. Bedford Friends Survey for Bedford Depot Park
Regarding Bedford’s request for ideas to improve the Bedford Depot, Betty asked for
input from the attendees. The suggestions were:
• More benches
• Water station with bottle filler
• Sunscreen dispenser
• Map of the area
• Bluebikes (or similar) station
• Improved signage so that the Narrow Gauge sign and MMBW sign are easily
visible at the same time
• Signage to Reformatory Trail
Betty stated she would send this list of suggestions to the Bedford Friends of the
Bikeway contact.
3. Bike Safety Working Group
Initial discussion of the proposed working group focused on keeping the working group
informal and limiting LBAC committee membership to a maximum of three members (to
comply with Open Meeting laws).
Further discussion related to suggestions for priorities that the working group might
have. Ideas included:
• Reaching out to the community to collect information on safety issues (real or
perceived)
• Locating points of congestion and poor bicycle visibility
• Educational project to help drivers understand what “4 feet” really is
• Possibly to include some visual cues directly following the town’s existing “4
feet” signs
• Coordination with Friends of Lexington Bikeways on safety literature
• Looking into the “Idaho Stop Rule”
4. Bikeway Maintenance
Betty explained the purpose of the letter to the Select Board, briefly reviewed its
contents, and noted the need to get the letter out quickly.
Jonathan Bernays suggested adding notes about erosion and cones near Bedford and
Revere, and the root heaves behind Battle Road Bikes. Betty noted that the coming
MWRA work will result in repaving of the path in that area.
Other suggestions regarding the letter draft included:
• Focusing on specific sections and priorities. (The need for good center striping
on the Bikeway was discussed at some length.)
• Possibly naming certain schools as having more urgent Safe Routes needs
• Bringing a copy of the finished letter to the incoming Town Manager, with whom
Betty and Tom will be meeting.
A motion was made (and unanimously passed) to have Betty and Dave make minor
revisions to the letter, and for the revised letter to be sent to the Select Board, with
copies also sent to the Town Manager and Ross Morrow.
5. Bike Parking
Tom reports that there are no updates on either Valley tennis courts or police station
bicycle parking. Regarding the new high school, the planners are still working off of the
LEED guidance, but possibly with 75 spaces as an “add alternate”. There may be a
possibility of getting to 225 bike parking spaces in the base bid. There is also difficulty in
getting “U” racks.
6. Review Planning Board Projects
Tom Shiple gave a favorable review of the 217-241 Mass Ave 5-story condo project.
Bike parking will be on the first floor, with a walkway and easement from Mass Ave to
the Bikeway. Visitor parking will be provided for the restaurant in the front of the project.
The Bike parking room is good, with 7 Dero Deckers, 24 inverted “U” racks, 6 oversized
bike spaces, and 8 spaces with charging.
He also related that we are on track for bike parking regulation changed in the next six
months.
7. Liaison Reports
Susan Barrett:
• Bike rodeo (which has 92 kids signed up) may be rained out
• Jim Cadenhead’s bike maintenance class went well, and the flat repair workshop
was full.
• Breakfast On the Bikeway will be May 16th
• She will be doing another book talk on May 29th, about “When Driving is Not An
Option”. The message is that non-drivers are a bigger group than we may
expect, and that taking their needs into consideration actually helps everybody.
• Bowman School did five walking routes
Jonathan Schwarz noted that this is the fourth year of Hastings Bike Trains, and that the
Dawes Cup (where the two Middle Schools compete for the most alternate-
transportation miles) is running again this year. (Information at dawescup.org)
Jonathan Bernays (Liaison to Transportation Safety Group):
He attended an LHS abutters meeting, where there was little discussion of bikes, but
instead concerns about student cars, driving, parking and traffic flow. Remote (overflow)
parking was controversial.
Friends of Lexington Bikeways:
Jim Cadenhead reported that some funding for this year’s Bikeway Block Party
(September 14th) has already been secured, and that a manager is still needed for one
of the Lexington parks.
Next LBAC meeting June 12, 2025, 7:00 - 9:00PM