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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-11-01-WALKS-min Lexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes Monday, November 1, 2010 Attendees: Jerry Van Hook (chair), Wayne Brooks (DPW), Elaine Celli (LPS Transportation), Judy Crocker, John Davies, Bettina McGimsey, Francine Stieglitz, Marc Valenti (DPW) Guests: Jill Hai, Trishe Greene The meeting was called to order at 11:08 by Chair Jerry Van Hook The October 4, 2010 minutes were accepted. Citizen Petition for New Sidewalks Citizens Jill Hai and Trishe Greene from the Winthrop St neighborhood presented a petition with 68 plus signatures requesting construction of a new sidewalk on Winthrop St from Highland Ave to Waltham St. Sidewalk already exists from Mass Ave to the junction of Highland St. The signatures included the majority of residents on Winthrop Rd, Sherborne Rd, and other feeder streets. They argue that the proposed construction would provide connectivity to many schools, the town center, and other amenities. The street does serve as a cut-thru for town center access, thusly posing dangers for pedestrians due to road volume. They have met with John Livsey of Engineering and performed a walk-through of the area. No significant obstructions or conservation concerns were noted. The Winthrop St petition was presented to Wayne Brooks. Mr. Brooks stated that realistically, the timeline would be 3 years before completion of the project. He will contact Ms. Hai concerning the next step in the bureaucratic process. Mr. Brooks wishes to review his procedural draft regarding the process for new sidewalk requests with Jeanne Krieger in order to obtain the Selectman’s perspective. School Bus Routing at Diamond Middle School Elaine Celi reported that lack of staff is why Diamond Middle School will not change the routes of two Lexington and one Boston school buses from Hancock Rd to the Sedge Rd entrance. Judy Crocker will schedule an appointment to meet with Asst Principal Mr. Wettstone to discuss the situation. The outcome of that meeting will determine if Pat Goddard of Facilities should be requested to attend the December SWC meeting to review the status of the two middle schools. Crosswalks on School St near Hastings School Bettina McGimsey of the Hastings SRTS questioned the change in the positioning and number of crosswalks on the newly reconstructed School St. Crosswalks currently exist at Mass Ave/School St, Marrett Rd/School St, and Eastern/School St. The need for additional crosswalks between Mass Ave and Marrett Rd beyond that at Eastern Ave/School St was discussed. Two previously existing crosswalks in this area have been eliminated for their terminus was incorrect. Francine Stieglitz has spoken with Town Engineer John Livsey who reported that there were no current plans for relocating those removed or for the creation of additional crosswalk(s). Mr. Livsey said that Dave Canon from his department would review the situation. Mr.Canon will perform another walk-through of the road if necessary. Ms. McGimsey said ideally there should be crosswalks at Stimson Ave/School St and Rolling Lane/School St. Mark Valenti said that no more crosswalks could be painted this calendar year. Spring 2011 would be the earliest the job could be performed and that Dave Canon is working on a solution for this problem. Ms. Stieglitz asked why public input was not involved in the design process. Mr. Valenti cited minimal design aspects required for crosswalk construction, such as a landing on each side of the street, for the changes. The previous crosswalks landed in either a cross-street or a driveway. Update on Safe Routes To School Program Judy Crocker reported that the October International Walk was a success even though most schools moved the date due to inclement weather. November’s Turkey Trot featuring Wilson Farms pumpkins on November 3 was looking forward to clear skies. SRTS addressed the PTA Presidents group regarding an overview of the program and plans for the school year. A Diamond Middle School meeting with administration will be scheduled as follow-up to previous SRTS meetings. Re-education of pedestrian safety and the program’s goals were discussed as many families have moved thru the elementary and into middle school since the program has begun. Therefore, there is a new generation of parents to educate. The SRTS Committee discussed how cultural barriers may be interfering with the learning curve of some families. Brief translated safety tips will composed in Korean and Mandarin and then published in school newsletters in order to overcome this perceived barrier. Safe Mass Ave plans in light of TSAC Review Safe Mass Ave Committee has worked with the Town to introduce pedestrian crosswalk flags at 3 existing crosswalks on Mass Ave in East Lexington. The group submitted a report to TSAC this spring which described how pedestrians were asked to use the flags to enhance visibility and quantified how motorists reacted i.e. how many cars passed without allowing for pedestrian crosswalk access for both before the flags were available and after. This data demonstrated an improvement correlating with flag use. At their October 20, TSAC discussed the Safe Mass Ave Committee report and had several suggestions for further improvements to the area. Their first was adding vertical reflective strips on poles adjacent to the flagged crossings. Adding this measure to existing signs would further highlight the crosswalks. Second, the Committee should pursue a closer collaborative relationship with SRTS for student safety on Mass Ave. The third was to create a plan for more extensive training for in flag use and its reasoning among the general public. The Safe Mass Ave Committee is now trying to determine how to best meet the TSAC suggestions. The SWC had no problem with the first and third suggestions put forth by TSAC. A brief discussion followed concerning how to promote the Safe Mass Ave initiative in the schools. SRTS has stated previously that it is not the proper forum for this topic for it is not a child-friendly proposition. It suggested that perhaps the organization could speak to PTA groups individually and that nothing could go home via student backpacks. Ms. Celi mentioned how cars do not always stop when a school bus is using its flashing lights when at a bus stop. In turn it is not reasonable to expect safe passage when a child uses a pedestrian flag at a crosswalk. She stated that school bus stops were designed to avoid whenever possible the need for children to cross Mass Ave because of the danger. Other Business Mr. Van Hook inquired about whether a letter originally addressed to the Selectmen in 2008 regarding priorities in school safety access should be revised and resent to the School Committee. It was questioned whether such a letter was needed at this date. No vote was taken. Ms. Stieglitz offered to discuss the matter further with Ms. Krieger. The meeting was adjourned at 12:40. The next meeting will be on December 6, 2010 at 11am. Respectfully submitted, Judy Crocker