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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-07-WALKS-min Lexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes Monday, June 7, 2010 Attendees: Wayne Brooks (DPW), Judy Crocker, Richard Canale (Planning Board), Elaine Celli (LPS Transportation), John Davies, Lucy Fletcher-Jones, Jeanne Krieger, Meg Lotz, Francine Stieglitz, Marc Valenti (DPW) , Jerry Van Hook Guests: Trish Greene and Jill Hai, Winthrop neighborhood The meeting was called to order at 11:05 by Chair Jerry Van Hook Proposed new sidewalk on Winthrop Road . Jill Hai presented the case for improved sidewalks in the Winthrop Road area. A lot of students in the neighborhood use the roads to cut through to playgrounds, the high school, Clarke Middle School, and Bridge Elementary. The problem is compounded by cars turning onto Winthrop and using the street as a cut through. At the present time there are sidewalks on both sides of the street from Mass Ave. to Highland, but they stop one house short of Highland on each side. There is a sidewalk on Vinebrook from Waltham Street, but it stops before the intersection of Highland and Winthrop. Walkers are forced into the street to cross the intersection and then to continue in the street along Winthrop to Waltham. Jill has contacted John Livsey, Town Engineer, and he will look at the area. There is also a need for a crosswalk at Winthrop and Waltham. TSAC originally turned down the request because is no osed crossing sidewalk on Winthrop or on the east side of Waltham near the prop. Jeanne suggested that the neighbors present the Selectmen with a petition requesting the sidewalks and crosswalk as well as asking the School Committee to become involved. New sidewalk construction is expensive and usually requires considerable time for review. Wayne explained that even the proposed one half mile of sidewalk, which is already on the Master List, would be expensive because of trees and telephone poles that might impede sight and would have to be removed. He added that sidewalks should be added/replaced as part of street restoration projects whenever possible. Update on the Bowman School sidewalk project . Lucy Fletcher-Jones reported on the Design Public Hearing held at Bowman on May 24 for the proposed Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Project. More than 100 people had signed the petition, and there was a lot of support at the hearing. Changes to the proposal include a grass strip that will be added to the Pleasant Street/Worthen Road East intersection. The existing crosswalk will be moved closer to the Route 2 onramp and a pedestrian-activated signal will be installed. Update on Safe Routes to School . Judy will formally ask Dr. Ash to have pedestrian training with helmet safety in the elementary schools. Such training in the middle schools and high school would be done in health education classes. There is a need to recruit new SRTS members as children graduate from elementary schools and middle schools. Pedestrian accommodation at 330 Woburn Street, TD bank project. The present plans do not call for a grass strip between the sidewalk and the road because the right of way is only 5 feet wide and the proposed sidewalk must be 5 feet wide. The corner presents a problem for snow removal and the planned freestanding 6- foot sign obstructs visibility. Planned low shrubs near the sidewalk should not obstruct the line of sight. Judy will find out if conditions have been met. A motion was passed to ask for a two-foot wide grass strip near the sidewalk to increase visibility. Jerry will send such a letter from the Sidewalk Committee to the appropriate town officials. Review of the Master List . Jerry handed out copies of the Draft Master List of SWC Projects. Most of the sidewalks on the list are new. Wayne’s list is slightly different but he’ll combine Jerry’s list and his. The existing data need to be updated, and Jerry wants agreement between the two lists in time for the next SWC meeting in July There is 200K budgeted for sidewalks for this fiscal year. It was recommended that all sidewalk projects, including those larger projects normally handled by town engineering, be kept on the master list. Jeanne said that connectivity to other neighborhoods should be one of the criteria for proposed new sidewalks. Update from the Planning Board. Planning Board liaison Richard Canale said that the Luongo subdivision will include a sidewalk along the area where the bus stops. He also reported that the sidewalk of frontage on Hancock should be completed by September 2010. The path on Victory Garden Lane to Diamond should be completed by August 15, 2012. The Planning Board has not yet received a definitive plan for Stedman Road, but there will not be a separate sidewalk and the gravel path will continue to exist. Richard reported that the Cary/Shade street area will be included in a traffic calming policy. The Sidewalk Committee will have an opportunity to weigh in on the plan. The Shade Street residents are split on whether a sidewalk should be installed on Shade Street as part of the plan. Burlington Street east of the Grove Street intersection was also discussed. Right of way conditions are unclear on this part of Burlington and there may not be space for a sidewalk. Wayne said he would investigate conditions. The third traffic forum to discuss the Transportation Management Overlay District (TMOD) will be held on Saturday, June 12. Pedestrian access is a major component of the study. Additional money is needed to complete the study. Safe Mass Ave . Jerry reported that there was positive response at Discovery Day to the green flags used for crossing in the East Lexington area, but the flags are still disappearing. TSAC will review the report of the Safe Mass. Ave. Committee in July. The Committee plans to ask for town approval for continuation of the program if the review by TSAC is positive. The meeting was adjourned at 12:45. The next meeting will be on July 12. Submitted by Francine Stieglitz