HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-06-01-WALKS-minLexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes
June 1, 2009 11:00 a.m.
Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Hall
Present: Jerry Van Hook, Judy Crocker, Suzie Barry, Francine Stieglitz, Meg Lotz, John Davies
Liaisons: Wayne Brooks, DPW; Elaine Celi, School Transportation; Richard Canale, Planning Board
Guests: Jane Kalinski, Hastings PTA SR2S Coordinator
May 2009 Minutes:
Judy has changes she will get to Meg. Review of May 2009 Minutes was postponed until the July 2009
meeting.
Attendance:
Six absences from committee meetings will trigger the Chair to contact the member or liaison to see if they can
improve their attendance or if they want to step down. Jerry will contact Laura Cecere, Sara Chamberlain and
Sharon McKenzie to inquire about their status. Judy will follow up with the SR2S committees to get
representation from each school. Please be sure to notify the Chair if you are unable to attend a meeting.
Roosevelt Road Sidewalk:
The Sidewalk Committee and TSAC have sent letters to the Board of Selectmen regarding the construction of
the new sidewalk on Roosevelt Road. The topic will be on the agenda of an upcoming Selectmen's meeting.
Wayne stated that as of 6/1/09 the money is still there for construction. Meg, Jane and Francine stated they
would attend the Selectmen's meeting when it is discussed.
SR2S Public Relations:
Three SR2S related items have been submitted to the Lexington Minuteman for publication; none have
appeared yet. There will be a push in the fall for publicity in the Lexington Minuteman and Colonial Times.
Judy will work on getting the Superintendants approval again to send home bookmarks in the fall listing all of
the SR2S walk days for the 2009-2010 school year. Judy re-circulated topics for small articles that could be
written for the Lexington Minuteman to keep the presence/visibility up. They are: Pedestrian Safety, Bicycle
Safety, Traffic Calming, What is SR2S, School and Public Bus Safety. Lexpress, Urban Planning, Who owns
the sidewalk in your neighborhood, Walking School Busses, How do Lexington's students get to school, No
idling, SR2S Walking Wednesdays, Town Departments and Committees, Why is there so much traffic,
Carpooling, Leave the car in the driveway, Crossing Guards, DPW's new GIS System.
Pedestrian Safety-Mass Ave-East Lexington:
Concerns were discussed regarding the three difficult intersections in East Lexington in terms of funding/timing
and State vs. Town project. Jerry stated the SWC should have input on the short term/long term goals of the
intersections. Wayne suggested inviting John Livsey, Town Engineer to a meeting for an update. Jerry will
invite John to the July meeting.
Master List-Sidewalk Proiects:
Wayne reported the paper list has been sent to be added to the GIS system, he is awaiting an update as to the
status. Once complete, it will be accessible from the Town's web site.
Lexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes-06/01/09
Page 2
SWC List of Most Dangerous Areas:
Following up on Jeanne's suggestion to come up with the 5-10 most dangerous intersections/crossings for
pedestrians, the committee brainstormed and the following locations were mentioned as possibilities:
• Pleasant Street
• Maple Street/Mass Ave
• Mass Ave @ East Lexington Fire Station
• Winchester Drive/Lowell Street/Maple Street
• Fairlawn Ave/Lowell Street
• Bartlett Ave/Lowell Street
• Hill Street
• Burlington Street at Kineen's Park
• Simmonds Road near Burlington Street where sidewalk changes from one side of road to the other
• Rotary at Burlington Street/Hancock Street
• Spring Street
• Bedford Street @ Hartwell Avenue
• Grant Street @ Mass Ave (Post Office)
• Mass Ave @ Cary Library
Wayne stated Engineering is working on a plan for the area near the Minuteman Statue/Gary Library to improve
traffic flow and pedestrian safety on Mass Ave. Wayne also suggested that the Committee send a letter to the
Selectmen listing 2-4 areas in Town that it feels Engineering should look at possibly redesigning to improve
safety. Richard suggested the Committee send a letter to advocate for Sidewalks on Hartwell Ave as part of the
Hartwell Ave traffic study.
Old/New Business:
• Bowman State Grant: There has been no update from the State.
• Bowman Boardwalks: Jerry stated there was a significant amount of work done on the boardwalks near
Bowman school over the weekend.
• Lexington Gardens Redevelopment: The developer has submitted a new plan that calls for 12 housing
lots with sidewalks on the inside of a horseshoe shaped road and no connectivity with the existing
Hancock street sidewalks, path access to the conservation land or access to Diamond Middle School.
The Planning Board will be holding a hearing next week. Jerry will send a letter outlining the concerns
of the SWC with the new plan.
Meeting adjourned: 1:00 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: Monday, July 6, 2009, 11:00 a.m.
Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Hall
Respectfully submitted,
Suzie Barry