HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-09-09-PB-minPLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2002
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board and its Transportation Element Advisory Committee, held
in the Lexington High School Library Media Room, was called to order at 7:10 p.m. by Acting Chairman
Harden, with members Chase, Davies, Kastorf and planning staff Garber, McCall - Taylor, Tap and
Machek present along with consultants from Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Mr. Howard Muise, Ms.
Susan Sloan - Rossiter, and Ms. Heidi Richards. Also present were the citizen advisory committee and
other interested residents of Lexington, about 15 people. Mr. Galaitsis arrived at 7:30, having had a prior
commitment
Mr. Harden welcomed everyone. Mr. Garber described what has been accomplished in the comprehensive
planning process thus far and introduced the Vanasse Hangen Brustlin consultants. He said the task ahead
for this group is finding ways to reduce the number of single - occupant vehicles on the roads, which are
major contributors to traffic congestion. Everyone introduced himself/herself.
The VHB consultants made a presentation that outlined the scope of study and gave an overview of the
study's components:
• The Comprehensive Plan Integration/Land Use
• Transportation Demand Management
• Transit
• Bicycle/Pedestrian
• Traffic
It also described the process that will be followed. Mr. Muise, Ms. Sloan - Rossiter and Ms. Richards made
additional comments as the slides were presented and then asked for questions and comments from the
participants.
Mr. Julian Bussgang, 2 Forest Street, remarked that in a previous effort at creating carpools, it was found
that employers were reluctant to share their employees' names and addresses. It was also found that
smaller employers did not respond positively to carpooling. He also noted that Hartwell Avenue has no
provisions for any transit other than cars. He asked if employees at Hanscom. Air Force base would be
taken into consideration.
Mr. Jerry Van Hook, 89 Meriam Street, Bicycle Advisory Connxiittee Chairman, added that Hartwell
Avenue is dangerous to bicyclists. He said that bicycling should be a safe choice for commuters to the
Hartwell Avenue businesses, noting that the Minuteman Bikeway crosses Hartwell Avenue. Mr. Garber
said that some people consider the landscaped lawns in front of those businesses to be continuous green
space and they would not favor any changes to it.
Mr. Richard Canale, 29 Shade Street, the Town's representative to MAGIC and the Freedom's Way
historical corridor effort, said that context sensitive design in planning commuting corridors should be
added and stressed the need to coordinate transportation policies with the other plan elements. He asked
how peoples' mobility needs will be determined.
Ms. Elaine Dratch, 2 Maureen Road, Transportation Advisory Committee, said she believes it very
important to involve other town bodies, e.g., the Board of Selectmen, Board of Appeals, noting two recent
instances that might have been avoided had all the town bodies been working together: the Lexington
Club on Bedford Street was allowed to build so close to Bedford Street that future improvements to the
Hartwell Avenue- Bedford Street intersection may not be possible; in the recent reconfiguration of Depot
Square, seven downtown parking spaces were eliminated.
Mr. Ed Ganshirt, 48 Fletcher Avenue, Transportation Advisory Committee, said that MBTA weekend
service schedules are not very convenient and asked how the .MBTA could be involved Lexington's
Minutes for the Meeting of September 9, 2002
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planning. Mr. Muise responded that the META does not typically get involved in such a local project, but
that perhaps as improvements are developed, MBTA may review and make adjustments in their service.
Mr. Bussgang, a member of the Hanscom Environmental Study Committee, said it would be useful for a
planning board member to attend their meetings, as Massport is considering future projects that would be
detrimental to Lexington.
GROUP WORKSHOPS
At this point, the participants split up into three workshop groups to discuss the list of goals and
objectives that had been provided.
At 8:40 p.m., the groups reconvened as a whole and each reported on its discussion,
SYNTHESIS
Group #1
Parking should also be addressed as a traffic management tool
High school issues arising out of students driving to school should be addressed.
Add: parking to support transit, including amenities for commuters: bus stop shelters and the like.
The whole environment is not friendly to bike and pedestrian modes
Consider the need to educate the public:
• What options do they have?
• How to help consumers make choices that support the goal (like, not buying that second, third
car).
• ;Sidewalks: there should be an overall plan for pedestrian and bikeways so that they are built in
the most needed areas and form a coherent network that provides a safe and pleasant experience.
One goal is not more important than another.
Group #2
Ditto to points raised by ggoup 1.
Hartwell Avenue: dangerous because there are no sidewalks or bike lane and the traffic moves too fast.
Need to increase transportation options.
Parking strategies - Do the high school students really need to drive to school?
The Town administration should take a leadership role.
Safety ,should be a goal.
Rewrite the first goal: traffic management is more than just commuting.
A] I of the goals work together, support each other, should be of equal weight.
Group #3
All of the goals are important but they must work together.
Increase options: Lexpress, walking, biking.
We need to change our behavior.
Hartwell Avenue has safety issues.
More links to bike path are needed.
Some good can be done with land use policies.
We will wake up to the (relative) ease of other travel modes.
Look at what is happening to our surroundings.
Perhaps a website to match up commuters would be helpful.
Minutes for the Meeting of September 9, 2002
ALL of the goals need to be implemented to really change people's behaviors
Everyone agreed to read the material provided by the consultants in preparation for the next meeting,
some time in October, tentatively the 16th.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
aC
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