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Lexington Sidewalk Committee Meeting Minutes
Monday, September 12 2011 11 am
Present: Jerry Van Hook (Chair); Judy Crocker, John Davies, Lucy Fletcher- Jones, Francine
Stieglitz, Jeanne Krieger, Bettina McGimsey
Liaisons: Elaine Celi (Transportation), Marc Valenti (DPW).
Guests: Lisa Baci, Bill Hadley (DPW), John Livsey (Engineering), Maryann McCall - Taylor
(Planning), Michele Stevens (management intern)
The meeting was called to order at 11:05am.
1. The August 2011 minutes were approved as amended.
2. Estabrook Task Force: Judy Crocker and Elaine Celi reported that this group met over
the summer and is charged with ensuring there is safe access to the school during the
construction phase of the new Estabrook School, and that there will be safe access for
all students once the school is built. During construction, parents will be encouraged to
send their children to school by bus, by offering free bussing. A survey has been sent
to Estabrook parents asking their transportation preferences and whether they would
consider using the bus if it were free during this time.
3. Safe Routes to School Judy Crocker reported:
a. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Bowman School on Tuesday,
October 11 at 9.15 am to open the new Follen neighborhood sidewalks which
were constructed over the summer.
b. Bookmarks advertizing the monthly Wednesday walk days for the schools
were sent out to all schools.
c. The SR2S is one of the presenters at the League of Women Voters Community
Forum on September 27 at 6.45 pm, and will emphasize safety, exercise and a
sense community
d. Met with PTA Presidents Council explaining SR2S to encourage cooperation
and participation.
e. The new combined Flexi pass for High Schoolers, who wish to use both School
buses and Lexpress, is successful with one route oversubscribed. Plastic passes
are being issued to all students riding the school bus, showing their photograph
and bus # to ensure that students are taking the right bus and they are paid up
users.
f. Judy will also be meeting with the School Committee to promote SR2S.
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g. Clark School improvements the `bend' in the school entrance road has been
widened and there is new striping and signage to help students to walk out of
the school safely. The new pathway has been postponed until next year.
h. Diamond new bus lane need to ensure that the agreed fence is installed to keep
cars out of the new bus lane.
4. Center Streetscape Project Maryann McCall - Taylor and John Livsey presented plans
to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety in the centre of town. Crosswalks will be
placed at more regular intervals and will have a `bump out' which will make them
safer to use. Access to the bicycle path will also be improved. The design is at an early
stage with construction starting no earlier than 2014. In general the Sidewalk
Committee welcomed the plan.
5. Citizen Correspondence Francine Stieglitz reported that copies of the new Guidelines
for Requesting New Sidewalks and the Petition Form have been sent to all those who
had contacted the Sidewalk Committee asking about new sidewalks. Jill Hai had
already collected about 50 -60 signatures for a sidewalk on Winthrop and was under the
impression that everything that needed to be done had been done. Francine will
contact Jill again and ask her to attend the October meeting.
6. Overhanging branches: The new person at DPW to send complaints on overhanging
branches and brush is now Chris Fildaio. Places in town where this is a problem
include: Marrett Road by the Old Res, Adams Street and at the rotary by Diamond
School.
Lisa Baci asked about the sidewalk on Lincoln St. near the Bridge School just beyond
the intersection with Middleby Rd. as you head towards Hayden. During the recent
reconstruction of Lincoln St the road appears to have been widened and /or
construction vehicles had demolished a section of the sidewalk, so there was a stretch
where it was barely 2' wide. She wished to be reassured that the sidewalk would be
restored to at least its original width when the construction was finished. Marc Valenti
promised to ask Dave Cannon to look into it and report back.
7. Marc Valenti: reported that some road striping was not done before school started
because clean up after Tropical storm Irene has put all work 3 weeks behind schedule.
8. Judy Crocker: asked how to put in a request for a "Do not turn right on Red' sign at
the intersection of Waltham and Worthen Rd by the High School to make it easier for
students to cross the crosswalk. Lucy F -J pointed out that when this had been tried
before and it had caused traffic back up along Worthen Road, during High School
drop -off and pick -up times and had causing more traffic idling. Marc Valenti agreed to
look into the issue.
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9. Committee member appointment dates:
Jeanne Krieger, founder of this committee in 2005, a passionate believer in making
Lexington a better and safer place to walk and who has been a strong, invaluable guiding
hand throughout the last 6 years will sadly not be renewing her appointment. The
committee thanks her for all her hard work and wishes her success in the future.
Jerry reminded the committee members of their appointment terms:
Jerry van Hook
9/2012
Margaret Lotz
9/2012
John Davies
9/2012
Francine Stieglitz
9/2013
Lucy Fletcher -Jones
9/2013
Judy Crocker
9/2014
Bettina McGimsey
9/2014
The Committee needs to decide on a set (odd) number of members, as a range is no longer
valid. Presently the committee has 7 members, but it may go down to 6. If we wish for 9
we need to recruit new members.
Lucy F -J suggested that a change in time might benefit recruitment as 11 am is in the
middle of the morning so difficult to get to if you work. The motion to change the time
was put to a vote and carried unanimously. Judy Crocker will put a notice in the
Minuteman and Lucy will put a notice on the web site including the new meeting time.
10. New business Marc Valenti reported that some sidewalk repairs will be proceeding
over the next 2 weeks: Taft Ave, the path between Worthen and Middleby Roads and on
Bedford Street between Paul Revere Road and the DPW building. Also, some crosswalks
will be upgraded with handicap ramps.
The meeting was adjourned at 12.30pm. The next meeting will be on Monday October 3rd
2011 at 9am.
Respectfully submitted,
Lucy Fletcher -Jones