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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-LBAC-rpt.pdf LEXINGTON BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE 1995 Report this committee advises the Selectmen on matters concerning the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway and the system of bike paths and bicycle routes throughout the Town. At the outset, the committee wishes to acknowledge with thanks the important contribution of the Friends of the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in communicating the wishes of the membership and carrying forward the volunteer work of Bikeway stewardship. The two groups are inextricably intertwined. Most of the monthly Bicycle Advisory meetings are held jointly with the Friends organization because of this need for a close coordination of effort. One priority of the Bicycle Advisory Committee in 1995 has been to work closely with bicycling groups in nearby towns that are planning new pedestrian / bicycle paths. One example is the outdoor fairs and planning sessions attended concerning the bike path extension from the present terminus of the Minuteman Bikeway through Bedford and into Billerica. Another is a bike route extension along North Street from the end of the Vine Brook path, connecting with routes being developed in Burlington. Committee members are also attending meetings and public forums on a system of bicycle paths connecting Woburn, Winchester and Stoneham. In Lincoln, Concord and Lexington, the Minuteman National Historical Park will build a 4.5 mile long interpretive trail linking historical sites within the Park from Meriam's Corner to Fiske Hill. Because of the distances, the path will have bicycle as well as pedestrian access. Committee members have been actively involved in planning connections to the Battle Road trail, as it will be called, as well as giving advice on trail width, wheelchair access, path surface material, and other questions. In the Center Playground area, a bicycle path will be established between Worthen Road and Parker Street by paving several hundred feet of unimproved roadway just South of the baseball field. This will improve the access to Bridge School, to the fitness path and to the Lincoln Street playing fields, We are also hoping that it will offer the alternative of parking on Worthen Road rather than in lots in Lexington Center for those off-loading bicycles or donning skates for use on the Bikeway. The Center parking lot behind Depot Square is a hazardous Bikeway crossing because cars entering and exiting the lot do not expect Bikeway traffic. To improve safety at this point, we have decided that a four-way stop, cars plus bikers, would improve safety and have asked the Selectmen to authorize this change this change. A button-activated light at the Bedford Street crossing or the Bikeway would greatly improve safety, particularly for children and senior citizens who might find difficulty in judging traffic speed on this busy road. The Selectmen will include a request for this improvement in the 1996 Town Warrant. We are also making inquiries about funding support from the State since it is a Massachusetts highway A traffic survey on bicycling along the Bikeway and on nearby parallel roadways was made this Fall in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. . Between 4 and 6 PM the weekday users on the Minuteman Bikeway were about 200 per hour of which 50 % were cyclists, 40 % were in-line skaters, and the remainder were on foot. Most were recreational users. Weekend numbers on the Bikeway are of course much higher; a national newspaper recently placed the Minuteman and the Wash.& Old Dominion bikeway near Washington DC as the two most heavily used in the nation, about 2.0 million users for each in 1995. Commuting is the basic mission of the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway and we are determined to promote this use. Our survey in the Hartwell Avenue area showed that a significant number of cyclists were using the Bikeway to get to the Air Force Base, Lincoln Labs and to other businesses along the avenue. For these people, there are times when alternate modes of transportation would be needed. To provide real data on the numbers involved, we are currently working with the Lexington Transportation Coordinator to develop a questionnaire for all workers in the Hartwell Ave business area, asking how many would use alternatives to private automobiles if bus service and safe bicycle / pedestrian paths were established along the avenue. We are also interested in promoting bicycling for local errands, for older school children, and for tourism in the area and have been working with the Lexington Planning Board to develop safe routes throughout town. We feel that the coming years will see a greatly expanded use of bicycling and we want Lexington to be at the forefront of this trend.