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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-10-TAC-min.pdf March 10, 2026 Minutes Transportation Advisory Committee Town of Lexington, Massachusetts Location: Pursuant to the Open Meeting Law, the meeting was held remotely by Zoom teleconferencing session open to the public following updated guidance posted by the Office of the Attorney General in April 2025. Agenda: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03102026-3752 Scheduled time: 7:30 pm Members Present: Kunal Botla (chair), Pamela Lyons (vice-chair), Sally Castleman, Jeremy Bowman, Keshav Krishna, and Jay Luker. A quorum was present throughout the meeting. All votes were taken by a roll call vote. Members Absent: None. Others Present: Elaine Quinlan. Kunal Botla called the meeting to order at 7:33 pm and read the remote meeting authorization statement. Mr. Botla confirmed attendance by roll call; all attending remotely. Call to Order & Public Comment Elaine Quinlan was present but did not offer a public comment. No public comments were received by email or mail. Meeting Minutes Mr. Botla noted that minutes from the previous meeting are still being prepared due to a transcription issue merging his and Ms. Lyons's contributions, and expects them to be ready by the next meeting. Chair's Update — Secretary/Clerk and Committee Vacancy Mr. Botla reported that two applications have been received for the committee vacancy, both submitted in 2025 and of uncertain current intent. He encouraged members to continue recruiting interested residents. The Select Board will be involved in filling the vacancy through its appointment cycle. The secretary role also remains open. Lexington Woods — Lowell Street Affordable Housing Ms. Lyons provided an update on efforts to secure a bus shelter and Lexpress passes for residents of Lexington Woods, a 40-unit affordable housing development at 591 Lowell Street, referred to at the state level as Parcel 6844, being developed by Causeway Development with architect Merge Architects. The project has received a comprehensive permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and a green light from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. An abutter has filed a lawsuit alleging procedural errors across several counts, with a court date expected the following month. The developer is concurrently pursuing funding including low-income housing tax credits. Ms. Lyons reported the following progress: Wendy Mance has agreed to join the committee in advocating before the Affordable Housing Trust for the bus shelter and Lexpress passes. The Commission on Disability has written a letter of support directly to the developer endorsing both requests. Affordable Housing Trust Chair Elaine Tung had previously indicated that CPA funds could not be used for a bus shelter or Lexpress passes. Ms. Lyons followed up with Community Preservation Committee Chair Marilyn Fenelosa, who took the view that a bus shelter would be an eligible CPA expenditure and was open to the question of Lexpress passes. Ms. Lyons also noted that CPA funds have previously been used to purchase parking spaces as part of affordable housing buy-downs, which she views as a relevant precedent. Mr. Luker noted that funds already appropriated to the Affordable Housing Trust may not be redirectable to a bus shelter, and that a separate application to the Community Preservation Committee might be required. Ms. Lyons agreed to clarify this and the question of minimum request amounts with Ms. Fenelosa. She also noted that getting on the Affordable Housing Trust's agenda before their next funding cycle — estimated at approximately $3.4 million — remains a priority so a formal request can be made while funds are uncommitted. Report on Annual Town Meeting Articles Article 12A — Transportation Mitigation Article 12A is a general budget line item for town-wide transportation mitigation efforts requiring no specific committee action. Articles 12B and 12C — Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan Implementation: Minuteman Bikeway to LHS and Townwide Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan Implementation Articles 12B and 12C both relate to improving bicycle and pedestrian access between the Minuteman Bikeway, Town Center, and the new Lexington High School. Members reviewed materials shared in advance by Mr. Botla, including slides prepared by Meghan Roche and a favorable recommendation memo from the Bicycle Advisory Committee. A video presentation is available on the Town's YouTube account. Article 12B requests $100,000 for the design of a connection between the Minuteman Bikeway and the new high school; routes under evaluation include via the Bank of America alleyway to Muzzy Street and via Merriam Street onto Clarke Street, coordinated with the high school construction project. Article 12C requests $100,000 for the design of a multi-use side path on Worthen Road from Mass Ave to Waltham Street. Both are design-only requests; Ms. Roche's presentation indicated a 12-month timeline to finalize routes and design. The Bicycle Advisory Committee has written a favorable recommendation for both articles. Members expressed broad support. Mr. Luker noted that the proposal may require removing approximately 26 on-street parking spaces along Muzzy Street, which may draw pushback from the center business community, but supported moving forward. Mr. Krishna noted the improvements would reduce car traffic in Town Center. Mr. Bowman asked whether a specific route had been determined; Mr. Botla clarified that the funding is to evaluate and finalize the route. The committee agreed to issue a brief statement of support. Mr. Botla drafted the following, amended on Ms. Lyons's suggestion to replace "since" with "because": "The Transportation Advisory Committee voted to recommend passage of Articles 12B and 12C because they support efforts to improve sustainable transportation at the new Lexington High School and in the neighborhood. The committee supports the Bicycle Advisory Committee's recommendations and rationale." Vote: Mr. Botla moved to approve the committee's statement recommending passage of Articles 12B and 12C. Ms. Castleman seconded. The motion passed 6–0 by roll-call vote (Ms. Lyons, Ms. Castleman, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Luker, Mr. Krishna, and Mr. Botla in favor). Article 12K — Burlington & North Street Sidewalk Mr. Botla played a presentation video by Town Engineer John Livesey on Article 12K, originally presented to the Select Board on September 23, 2024, and available on the Town's YouTube account. An abutter-focused public meeting was also held on February 25, 2025. Article 12K requests $60,000 for a pre-design alternatives analysis for sidewalk installation along Burlington Street (Grove Street to North Street, approximately 4,000 feet) and North Street (Burlington Street to Adams Street, approximately 3,860 feet). The project originated as a resident petition to the Transportation Safety Group under the prior petition-based process — the last such petition before the town-wide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan became the new prioritization framework. A corridor survey was funded at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting; this request advances the project to pre-design. Town Engineer Livesey identified significant potential impacts of traditional sidewalk installation, including removal of approximately 100 trees, right-of-way limitations, retaining wall relocation, drainage installation, sight distance issues, and wetland and floodplain impacts, including effects on the Willard's Woods frontage. Alternatives to be evaluated include partial sidewalk, one-way road configuration, and enhanced striping. If funded, pre-design would begin in summer 2026, with subsequent requests anticipated for design, easements, and construction at future town meetings. Members discussed the project. Ms. Lyons noted it ranked lower under the new Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan's impact-based framework than it had risen under the old petition queue, and that the project was not high on the priority list developed through community charrettes. Mr. Luker observed that residents may have a broader underlying need for walkability beyond a traditional sidewalk. Mr. Botla noted that a one-way road solution would be impractical given the size of the resulting loop via Hancock Street and Adams Street. Ms. Castleman noted the streets are currently very dangerous to walk on. Mr. Bowman proposed the committee recommend that edge lane roads be evaluated as an additional alternative. Mr. Luker described the concept: painted edge lines narrow the travel lane, creating shared shoulder space for pedestrians and cyclists on both sides while allowing two-way vehicle traffic, with drivers yielding to each other as needed. The effect is to slow vehicle speeds with minimal construction cost beyond restriping. Mr. Bowman noted this could also serve as a model for other narrow streets in town facing similar challenges. The committee agreed to issue a statement of support incorporating this recommendation: "The Transportation Advisory Committee voted to recommend passage of Article 12K. The committee urges that edge lane roads be included as one of the evaluated alternatives, due to their lower financial and environmental impacts." Vote: Mr. Botla moved to approve the committee's statement recommending passage of Article 12K with the urging that edge lane roads be included as one of the evaluated alternatives. Ms. Lyons seconded. The motion passed 6–0 by roll-call vote (Ms. Lyons, Ms. Castleman, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Luker, Mr. Krishna, and Mr. Botla in favor). Articles 28 and 33 — Speed Humps (Walnut Street) and Universal Design Resolution These articles were skipped for time. Mr. Botla noted the committee would return to them if time permitted. Discussion on Proposals for 2027 Annual Town Meeting Mr. Luker presented a proposal he had circulated to members in writing in advance of the meeting, for a town-wide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) overlay district that would convert existing parking minimums into parking maximums and establish a fee for spaces built in excess of those maximums. The core concept has four elements: The per-use table of parking minimums in the town's zoning bylaws would be converted to maximums, eliminating minimums while capping parking that can be built without a fee. A town-wide TDM overlay district would apply to all new construction across all use types. A fee would be assessed on each parking space built above the defined maximum. The existing Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District charges $5,000 per excess space as a reference point; the appropriate fee for a town-wide application requires further research. Revenue would be directed to specific, visible transportation improvements — such as projects on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan or Lexpress funding — rather than a general fund, to build public support. Mr. Luker noted the proposal was informed in part by The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup and a Climate Cabinet report ranking elimination of parking minimums among the most impactful climate actions. Early informal feedback was mixed: Planning Board member Abby McCabe expressed interest; Planning Board member Charles Hornig did not support it. Members discussed the proposal. Ms. Castleman emphasized the importance of the fee level being proportionate to the uses funded, citing prior experience with the TDM Fund and Lexpress. She flagged single-family homes as complex given the variety of driveway configurations in Lexington. Mr. Luker acknowledged the complexity and suggested a cap on the fee exposure for single-family homes. Mr. Botla proposed focusing the definition on built or marked spaces rather than driveways, and using a coverage-based limit on paved surface area to address very large driveways. He also proposed tiering the fee by proximity to MBTA bus service, so excess parking near a bus route would incur a higher fee. Mr. Bowman suggested Lexpress routes be included in that transit-proximity consideration and noted that MLS real estate listings include a standardized parking space count field that could be useful for residential properties. Ms. Lyons noted that the 16 Clarke Street MBTA Communities development, presented at a recent Historic Districts Commission meeting, had come back with a 1-to-1 parking ratio (40 units, 40 spaces), with 11 additional commercial spaces available to residents in the evening — a result consistent with the direction of Mr. Luker's proposal. Mr. Luker noted the proposal would reduce housing costs, not increase them, since it asks developers to build less parking, which is a major capital cost. Mr. Luker committed to continuing to develop the proposal. Mr. Botla suggested a funding request to improve Lexpress technology could be another 2027 Annual Town Meeting item, noting prior technology investments lasted approximately 12 years and that Lexpress is no longer at the current edge. Mr. Bowman raised the question of covered bike storage in Town Center, noting the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan addresses covered storage at schools but not in the center. He also noted that the town's online map of bike rack locations in Town Center appears to have been removed, with a broken link on the town website. Mr. Botla suggested looping in the Center Committee, which is conducting a parking study. Ms. Lyons suggested Mr. Bowman contact the town's communications officer, who may be able to locate or restore the missing map. Liaison Reports No liaisons were present. Mr. Luker noted that the Transportation Safety Group did not meet in the prior period. Set Next Meeting Date & Anticipated Adjournment Mr. Botla announced the next regular meeting will be April 14, the second Tuesday in April. Adjournment Mr. Botla moved to adjourn at 9:15 pm. Ms. Lyons seconded. The motion to adjourn passed 6–0 by roll-call vote (Ms. Lyons, Ms. Castleman, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Luker, Mr. Krishna, and Mr. Botla in favor). Documents Referenced 1. Agenda, Transportation Advisory Committee, Town of Lexington 2. Slides prepared by Meghan Roche on Articles 12B and 12C — available on the Town's YouTube account 3. Bicycle Advisory Committee recommendation memo on Articles 12B and 12C 4. Article 12K video presentation by Town Engineer John Livesey — available on the Town's YouTube account 5. Written concept by Jay Luker on town-wide TDM overlay district Respectfully submitted, Kunal Botla, Chair