HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-12-28-EC-min Minutes
Enablement Committee
Friday December 28,2001
Present: Barbara Barrows; Chuck Cole; Sue Cusack;Jill Manning;Martin Quinlan;Edward Landau; Steve
Baran,ADA Coordinator
Absent: Robert Harris,Chair, Jennifer Aliber,Dan Murphy
I, Richard Landau,referred by Chris Casey Chief of Police, introduced concerns about crossing at
Waltham Street and Mass. Ave. expressed interest in joining the Enablement Committee Dave
Carbonneau of the Engineering Dept. and Traffic Committee should be involved. Steve Baran has
had several inquiries from blind people.RESOLVED memos to Traffic Committee,Bicycle
Committee and Chief Casey' article in Minuteman re people with low vision. It is estimated that
there arc between 100—150 blind people living in Lexington.
2. Sue Cusack has obtained considerable support for making the Visitors Center accessible, spoke to
Selectmen about the issues. The Tourism Committee is particularly interested.
3 Barbara will contact former committee members—Rich Safford,Michael Martignetti and Joanne
Fray—to see if they wish to join the Enablement Committee.
4 Chuck Cole will explore how Minuteman National Park may be a resource for showing historic
interiors by video
Enablement Committee Minutes December 28,2001
Present: Barbara Barrows; Chuck Cole; Sue Cusack,Jill Manning, Martin Quinlan; Edward Landau; Steve
Baran,ADA Coordinator
Absent: Robert Harris, Chair, Jennifer Aliber,Dan Murphy
Citizen concern re• Crosswalk Safety
Mr. Landau(citizen) carne to discuss the difficulty of street crossing for individuals with
Visual impairments.Mr.Landau has been closed to being struck by a car in the last 4-S weeks once in
front of the police station, He mentioned that there was no enforcement of white cane law or the pedestrian
law What prompted this visit was triggered by a conversation with Chief Casey Story Muzzey and Mass
Ave, S way across Muzzey there was a vehicle swinging in front of him nearly hitting him
The investigating officer suggested that he take down the license plate.When she realized that this was not
possible, she suggested that he only walk with a sighted attendant.
Woburn(near)Mass Ave request for a visible cross walk(painting)to increase visibility
Rick was non-responsive until he provided Rick with a copy of the
Traffic at MA and Waltham were up for redesign, audible signal would be a small upgrade charge,the
proposal will have to go before the HDC
Mr. Landau mentioned that the Traffic Commission would reconunend audible signals at Waltham and
Mass Ave, and a Woburn Street crossing may put up a cone with a Pedestrian Crossing sign.
Additional suggestion by Mr.Richard Landau would be the addition of possible pedestrian driven light on
Mass Ave and Theatre Pharmacy and the Medford Bank.
Cycles downtown change which makes anticipating the signal difficult,
Mr.Landau offered that there maybe as many as 100-150 legally blind people in Lexington
ri chl andau@learthlink.net
F,nahlemcnt Committee response:
1 Charles Cole: The committee should learn what the sensibilities are(related to vision issues)that
should he incorporated into various safety considerations in Lexington.
2. Letter to the Traffic Commission lending our support to the commissions current efforts with a
request to visit to discuss common concerns
3 Letter to the Bicycle Committee to engender support for the more bicycle racks
4 Letter to Chief Casey-incident report with Mr Landau,November 27th 781 862-6311,request
submitted last Thursday or Friday
5 Arrange a conversation with the Lexington paper with Mr. Landau to promote an article about
vision issues and the need for increased sensitivity
6. Future conversations with the Traffic Commission should include duration of the light, visibility
of the crosswalk, overhead lighting,textured curb cuts, appropriated oriented curb cuts
Additional.
1 Sue Cusack has obtained considerable support for making the Visitors Center accessible; spoke to
Selectmen about the issues. The'fourism Committee is particularly interested.
2. Barbara will contact former committee members—Rich Safford,Michael Martignetti and Joanne
Fray—to see if they wish to join the Enablement Committee.
Chuck Cole will explore how Minuteman National Park may be a-resource for showing historic
interiors by video.
il. , .