[SBC] Magoun Sq. meeting

Wed Dec 5 10:16:45 EST 2007

I agree with Charlie. The City should add bike lane segments as far as
possible within the confines of the project as a first step towards
installation of bike lanes extending outwards from Magoun. It's an important
opportunity.  Long term the City should be thinking about bike lanes for
Broadway above and below Magoun Sq., not only for purposes of bike
accommodation, but also, as along Willow Ave., as a traffic calming
mechanism. On the side of Broadway beginning up Winter Hill, the present two
lanes for traffic allow some vehicles to execute a sneak right-hand pass of
slower vehicles.  In the future, bike lanes might very well be part of a
package of measures to discourage such maneuvers and excessive speed on
Broadway near Magoun Square in general.

Perhaps Steve can provide the SBC's recommendation (Alan, could you write
and load a letter to the new website for comment?) to the City, and indicate
that the SBC would like to see either #1 of Alan's list or #2, whichever the
City prefers.  Otherwise we resort to #3.

P.S. Please let me know if you did not receive this e-mail from sbc at lists as
well as directly. /E

On Dec 5, 2007 9:04 AM, Alan and Jane <alanjane at peoplepc.com> wrote:

>  Charlie:
>
> Thanks for going to this and preparing a report.
>
> Absolutely (submit comments). However, the deadline is before our next
> meeting. So our choices are:
>
> 1. have a special meeting to decide what to submit (i.e., Broadway bike
> lanes, etc.) and get agreement from the City to let us submit the comments
> 2. see if Steve can get the City to submit similar comments (they wouldn't
> be from the Bike Com).
>
> 3. send in comments as individual Somerville residents now and get the
> committee/City to submit the same in the future at subsequent design steps.
>
> I'm guessing only #3 is practical but let's see what Steve says.
>
> Alan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charlie Denison
> Sent: Dec 5, 2007 12:20 AM
> To: Alan and Jane
> Cc: postbc at gmail.com, dschartel at rcn.com, eckumin at gmail.com, fredlori at rcn.com
> , jgallag1 at earthlink.net, jgallagher at mapc.org, joelbikesalot at yahoo.com,
> john.reinhardt at state.ma.us, kmolloy at gmail.com, lorifred at rcn.com,
> mark at goloco.org, peter at mcintyreandmoore.com, rnewman at thecia.net,
> SWinslow at somervillema.gov, bryce2 at obviously.com, jgregpalmer at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: Short recent meeting reports, Comm Path, Mystic Valley paths:
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Yesterday evening (December 4), I attended the MassHighway public hearing
> on the Magoun Square Project.  They outlined the proposed pedestrian and
> vehicular improvements to Magoun Square, including new sidewalks, traffic
> lights, walk signals, lights, trash cans, bike racks, etc.  It is scheduled
> to be advertised 2009 with construction to begin in 2010 at the earliest.
>
> A few things of note related to bicycling:
> - Someone asked about adding bike lanes.  (The current design does not
> have them.)  The consultant said that is something they will consider on
> Broadway, but bike lanes are not possible on the other streets without
> removing parking, which they don't want to do.  He stated that they are
> obligated to provide "bicycle accommodation" throughout the project.
> - Another person asked about reducing the number of lanes on Broadway in
> each direction from two to one.  The consultant responded that that is not
> feasible because the project boundaries are not far enough to change the
> overall lane configuration.
>
> I took photos of the posters they had for display, and I scanned the
> handout they passed out at the hearing.  I put them up on my website here:
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing1.jpg<http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing1.jpg>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing2.jpg<http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing2.jpg>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing3.jpg<http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing3.jpg>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing4.jpg<http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdenison/MagounSquare/Drawing4.jpg>
> http://home.comcast.net/~cdenison/MagounSquare/Magoun_Square_Public_Meeting_Handout.pdf
>
> <http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecdenison/MagounSquare/Magoun_Square_Public_Meeting_Handout.pdf>
>
> Deadline for comments on records for the official hearing transcript is
> December 13.
>
> In my opinion, this would be a very good time to start introducing bike
> lanes on Broadway, even if only for a short segment that this project
> includes.  If they are not added now, if and when they are added along other
> stretches of the road, it may be more difficult to connect them through here
> if this intersection is designed without them in mind.
>
> Does the Bike Committee want to submit any comments?
>
> Charlie
>
> Alan and Jane wrote:
>
>  *Anyone want to give a short report of the **Willow Ave.** presentation
> last night to the * *Davis Square** Task Force?*
>
>
>
> Short recent meeting reports:
>
>
>
> *Nov. 28 **DCR** **Mystic** **River** park plans*
>
> ·        Good presentation of the master planning (i.e., no real decisions
> or details) of the Mystic River bank from where Alewife Brook joins the
> Mystic downstream until Route 99 in Boston/Everett.
>
> ·        Emphasized improving the DCR parklands along both sides to
> include a continuous multi-use path along the entire length.
>
> ·        The DCR has $ only for this planning, none for construction of
> anything
>
> ·        Mentioned that IKEA will pay for the construction of the Route 28
> underpass in Somerville to complete that missing section
>
> ·        Said that VHB could be done with the design of the path from Draw
> 7 park along MBTA busyard to Route 99 by Spring 2008. Small new "problem" of
> perhaps needing to move the MBTA's police ammunition storage building away
> from the path.
>
> ·        Idea to get $ from Assembly Sq. developers to pay for the MBTA
> busyard path, otherwise it might be long wait for other $
>
>
>
> *Dec. 3 Green Line advisory committee:*
>
> ·        The EOT has had meetings with the MBTA, rail corridor surveying
> has begun.
>
> ·        The EOT is looking at various ways to try to meet the 2014
> deadline.
>
> ·        One next step is looking at potential station locations and
> layouts. When discussing criteria to rate station locations, neither EOT or
> consultant VHB mentioned the Community Path. So Joel, Ellin Reisner, Jim
> McGinnis and Carrie Russell (CLF) brought the Path up to remind them all
> that it needs to be considered. They agreed but it still seems to me that
> while they acknowledge the project scope has to include designing the Path,
> they don't see it as part of the Green Line design, like having tracks and
> trains and station stops A WAY TO GET TO THEM.
>
> ·        Next meeting is 4 to 6 p.m. at the Visiting Nurse Association
> Center on Wednesday, January 9, 2008
>
>
>
> **
>
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