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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-12-08-LBAC-min APPROVED MEETING MINUTES Committee Name: Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee Date, Time and Location of Meeting: December 8, 2011, 7 pm, Town Office Building Room 111 Members Present: Peggy Enders (Chair), John Frey, Marita Hartshorn, Stew Kennedy, Jerry Van Hook, Bob Hausslein (FoLB Chair), George Gagliardi Others Present: Richard Canale (Planning Board Liaison, Sandra Shaw (Recreation Committee Liaison), Richard Spencer, Joel Adler. Members Absent: Mike Tabaczynski, Laurel Carpenter Minutes : The November 2011 minutes were accepted as distributed. Bikeway Plowing: Peggy reported that the Town and the LBAC have forged a new agreement for this winter’s bikeway plowing. Gates will remain open, barrels will replace gates, and bollards will be removed. Jimmy McLaughlin will be the plowing contractor; it was agreed that the vehicles and personnel used for other town plowing by McLaughlin will not be the same as those used for plowing of the bike path. The Selectmen have approved the placement of signs seeking funds along the bike path. Center Streetscape: At the public presentation on the Center Streetscape plan, Jerry Van Hook and Peggy Enders spoke in favor of reconsideration of a single lane in each direction (with a turning lane). At the meeting, Jerry pointed out that the center is the only four-lane road in town and also the one with the most pedestrian traffic. Richard Canale supported Jerry’s view, saying the plan in East Arlington calls for single lanes and full bike lanes as well as widened sidewalks. There the consultants believe that single lanes will result in less congestion. One lane unimpeded will result in smoother movement through the center. John Frey mentioned that the Design Advisory Committee supports this concept. Perhaps 2013 will be a good time for a trial run for single lanes and a turning lane, allowing for a traffic study that assesses the effect on all users. It was mentioned that, at the public briefing, the designers said that a traffic study was slated to be done in the future. DCR Trail Conference: Stew, Peggy, and Keith Ohmart attended the first trail conference, “Building Connections,” on November 12, sponsored by the Trustees of Reservations, the DCR, and the Massachusetts Recreational Trail Advisory Board (MARTAB). The conference included talks about the economic benefits of recreational trails in terms of tourism and quality of life and encouraged towns to survey the needs of the citizens. Conference proceedings are posted on the DCR website. Many towns were represented, and there was substantial interest in this town’s experience with the Minuteman Bikeway, since it is so highly regarded and so much older than many of the others. Disabled Citizens and Trail Use: Another discussion item at the DCR conference was the new Department of Justice ruling about trail accessibility for those with disabilities and the use of motorized devices on trails and paths (including bikeways). Peggy provided a copy of a statement drafted by Keith Ohmart (chair of the Greenways Corridor Committee) that describes the implications of the new regulation and makes suggestions about next steps. DCR has recommended that all “property managers” undertake an assessment of their public lands in terms of appropriateness for trail use of “other power driven mobility devices.” It was reported that Bedford has been working on this issue for a year, so they would be a good source of information. The committee understands from the Greenways Corridor Committee that Selectmen Deb Mauger will talk with Lexington town counsel about the DoJ ruling. Ad Hoc Transportation Governance Committee : A short-term committee appointed by the Selectmen and coordinated by Jeanne Krieger includes representatives from six town committees that have some connection to Lexington transportation, including the Bike Committee. There has been some discussion about the role and expectations of liaisons on each committee. DCR Grant for Minuteman Bikeway : Peggy met with Joey Glusko regarding next steps on the grant. A draft of the RFP to hire an engineering/architect firm to undertake the design challenge has been sent to John Livsey for his review. Annual Report Peggy submitted a draft of the LBAC for committee comments. Town Election and the CLC Candidate Question : We decided to suggest the following question to the CLC as their candidate question: “How would you make Lexington more bicycle and pedestrian friendly?” Other Business : Laurel volunteered via e-mail to draft a statement on behalf of granite curbs the committee regarding . We will discuss this in January. Battle Road Connector Richard Canale urged us to keep the on our radar screen because recently grant money has become available. Richard is considering applying for the grant; if so, Peggy will write a letter of support. The National Park continues to be in favor of this project. Richard would like the Bike Committee to be more pro-active in its support. The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 pm. Discussions of the Friends of Lexington Bikeways Treasurer’s report : $200 has been spent for signs to raise money for plowing. Snow Plowing Fund-Raising : Peggy is working on a video for LexMedia seeking donations and will put an article in the Minuteman explaining the reason for the barrels replacing open gates. Bike Racks for the Historical Society : The Friends approved $ 298.50 [ed note, is that correct?] for the purchase and shipping for two “U” shaped bike racks to be donated to the Lexington Historical Society. We will explore getting a small donation plaque for each. Bob Hausslein did research as to how other towns with bike paths organize their clean-up activities. The Friends of the Bruce Freeman Trail make a distinction between heavy maintenance such as brush cutting and tree limb removal vs. light maintenance such as litter pickup. The former is handled by their DPW and experienced members, whereas the latter is handled by anyone who volunteers to take care of a designated quarter mile section. This does not solve all the problems but is a step in the right direction. Some form of appreciation for volunteers is important. The next LBAC/FoLB meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 12, at 7 pm in Room 111. Items Shared or Distributed: December Agenda November Meeting Minutes Email from Laurel Carpenter Statement from GCC about DoJ Ruling Recorder: Marita Hartshorn Editor: Peggy Enders