HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-09-14-WALKS-minLexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes
September 14, 2009 11:00 a.m.
Selectmen's Meeting Room
Present: Jerry Van Hook, Suzie Barry, Elaine Celi (LPS Transporation Coordinator),
Judy Crocker,Lucy Fletcher-Jones, Jeanne Krieger (Selecman Liaison) Meg Lotz,
Francine Stieglitz,
Guests: Kathy Hildenbrand and Marina Thompson (Five Fields Neighborhood)
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1. Chairman's comments on renewed membership and committee goals. Jerry has
agreed to remain as chairman for the next three years although he would like us to think
about his replacement as chair before the term ends. Suzie's and John's terms expire in
two years. Meg's term expires in September, but she has agreed to remain for another
term. Sarah Chamberlain will resign; Victoria Campos, who is the Bridge liaison not the
Sidewalk liaison, has been dropped from the list.. Sharon MacKenzie (Board of Health)
will continue to receive minutes. Fiske and Harrington still have no representation on the
committee. Jerry has suggested that prospective new members come to at least one or
two meetings before making the decision to join.
2. The July 13th minutes were approved. Lucy will send the minutes to Candy
McLaughlin for posting to the Town web site and to the members of the committee.
3. Roosevelt road. On August 31, the Board of Selectmen reversed their original
decision and voted unanimously to put the sidewalk on the south side of the road. There
will be a new crosswalk at Wilson. Jeanne suggested that, after the sidewalk is installed,
the PTA go to TSAC with their requests for signage. But signage alone is not going to
solve the problems at drop-off and pick up. The Hastings PTA, parents, and the school
administration need to become involved. Pat Goddard, Director of Public Facilities,
should also be contacted. There will be no regular police presence on school grounds;
the crossing guards will remain at Mass. Ave.
4. TEC Report on Bowman School. Lucy Fletcher-Jones reported that the final
assessment report on the infrastructure improvements needed to support Safe Routes to
School in the Bowman school district had been received. Copies have been sent to Jeanne
Krieger,Wayne Brooks, John Livsey, Judy Crocker, Mary Anton(Bowman Principal) and
Lucy Fletcher-Jones. The study was done by TEC in June 2008 for the State Executive
Office of Transportation (EOT). The report makes 2 main recommendations:
1. To extend the sidewalk on Philip Road to Lantern Lane, Dawes Road, Buckman Drive
and Locust Avenue as far as Follen Road - a total of 2,500 ft at an estimated cost of
$197, 000.
2. To improve the effectiveness of the crosswalk at the intersection of Pleasant Street and
Worthen Road East by installing a "flasher unit" which includes more warning signs and
"passive-detection" lights. Also by putting in a new crosswalk from Worthen Road to
Philip Road. The estimated cost would be $26,600.
Two more secondary recommendations included extending the sidewalk on Follen Rd
from Summit to Dawes Rd and adding sidewalks to Locust Rd to connect to the
Minuteman bike path.
Finally the report stated that there was no guarantee that Lexington would receive the
funds for the recommended improvements. The funds are contingent on how effective the
improvements would be in increasing walking and cycling. We are competing for the
funds with 12 other Massachusetts schools. The Town and the Bowman SRTS group will
meet to discuss how to answer this report. Generally, the group is very pleased with the
recommendations and hope that they will get the 100% federal funding. "
A question was raised about the Dunback boardwalk. It is now completed, but the path
has a long stretch of gravel and parents seem reluctant to have their children use that
path.
5. Safe Routes to School. Judy Crocker handed out bookmarks for Lexington's Safe
Routes to school with the monthly Walking Wednesday Dates. Bowman School is still
reluctant to participate.
6. SWC list of Lexington's most dangerous areas for pedestrians. Jerry handed out a
revised version of the list of danger spots in town for pedestrians. The list, which was
first developed at the June meeting, attempts to show these projects in various stages of
development. The proposed listing places each of these major projects in one of four
categories ranging from "in process" through time frames of less than 2 years, more than
5 years, to a category with no known time line. Jerry has asked the committee to offer
some editorial suggestions at the next meeting.
Jerry has attempted to categorize our existing Master List of smaller scale projects in this
framework but could not logically do so. The Master List will continue as a priority
listing for each elementary school neighborhood with no estimates for time of
completion. It remains as our wish list for smaller sidewalk projects when funding is
again available.
7. Safe Mass. Ave. committee activities. This committee is an East Lexington citizens
group that is concerned about pedestrian safety on Mass Ave in the area near the Pleasant
St intersection. Th chair is Lucinda Duncan, the Follen Church minister, and membership
consists of 15 residents of the area. Jerry has joined thei group because pedestrian safety
is a SWC priority. He will be updating the SWC on their meetings and plans.
The Safe Mass Ave (SMA) group endorses the long-term efforts of Town Engineering to
make changes in traffic flow in the area. These plans are major and will have a 5 year
time line at best. The town will ask for 25% design for the area and will leverage federal
and state funds to complete the work. In the interim, the SMA committee is determined to
introduce shorter-term measures to enhance pedestrian safety.
8. Lexington Gardens. Negotiations are still pending. There have been no concessions
from the developer except for a circular sidewalk within the development. Dick Canale
will continue to see if any concessions or alternatives can be worked out. The area is
residential, and there is no leverage without business. Jerry asked Judy to contact Mr.
Marino once again to discuss the connectivity part because it goes close to the school.
9. Proposed sidewalk on Concord Avenue. Kathy Hildenbrand and Marina Thompson
from the Five Fields neighborhood came to the meeting to ask what the process should be
for having a sidewalk built in their neighborhood. On August 12th, Michael Martinetti
had written to the Sidewalk committee asking about the process. The area is seeing
considerable commercial expansion with the development of Ledgemont 3 and Patriot
Partners. There are three schools in the area. Cut through traffic has increased. The
neighborhood is hoping that developers will contribute to mitigation. There are no
bicycle lanes although bicycle lanes were approved but never implemented. Jerry said
that sharrows (bicycle signs painted on the bicycle lanes) seem to be more in favor at this
time.
There was a question about whether there would be lanes for pedestrians and lanes for
bicyclists.
There was no new business, and the meeting was adjourned at 12:40.
The next meeting will be on Monday, October 5, at 11:00 in the Selectmen's Meeting
Room.
Submitted by Francine Stieglitz