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Public Hearing on Arlington Center Safe Travel Project April 23
A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed safety and mobility improvements at Massachusetts Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Mystic Street in Arlington, The meeting will be held on April 23, at 7 p.m. at Arlington Town Hall. The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed intersection modifications. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible. The proposed project will consist of reconstructing the intersection and providing a connection for the Minuteman Bikeway through the intersection. The project will incorporate designated roadway facilities for cyclists as well as traffic signal and pavement marking improvements for vehicles and pedestrians.
Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Thomas F. Broderick, P.E., Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: David Shedd, Project Management Project File No. 606885. Such submissions will also be accepted at the hearing. Mailed statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the public hearing transcript must be postmarked within ten (10) business days of this Public Hearing. Project inquiries may be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us
Project Background and History
The Town of Arlington received a commitment of funding from MassDOT to improve safety at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Route 60 for all travelers including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. A major challenge is the gap in the Minuteman Bikeway between Swan Place and Mystic Street, which results in some cyclists riding on the sidewalk. This funding allows the Town to look at long-term safety solutions for this heavily traveled area.
In the spring 0f 2011 the Town hired Howard/Stein-Hudson, an experienced traffic engineering firm to work with an Advisory Group that includes Town representatives from Public Works, Planning, Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), and the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC). Together they developed five options that were presented at a public meeting in January, 2012. A final plan was endorsed by the Selectmen on March 12, 2012.
“There are real safety issues at this intersection,” said Clarissa Rowe, then Board of Selectmen Chair. “We are pleased to have an opportunity to address them. The options presented by the project team are promising and we’d like to review them with the public to gather feedback to create the best solution for the future.”
The five options were presented at the November 21 meeting of the Board of Selectmen by Public Works Director, Michael Rademacher. Residents can view the presentation online, in the DPW Projects section under Arlington Center Safe Travel Project, at arlingtonma.gov/dpwprojects.
Residents can also view a broadcast of the presentation given to the Selectmen online at ACMi website, in the Video on Demand section, at acmi.tv (10:50 into the November 21, 2011 meeting).
Below are materials from the public input meeting held at Town Hall Auditorium on Jan 10, 2012.
Functional Design Report
Funding will come from a MassDOT program called Clean Air and Mobility Program (CLAMP) and is targeted to actions that will reduce air pollution by encouraging walking and biking and decreasing congestion. The priorities cited in the grant application include:
• Design and implement a Bikeway connection through this intersection.
• Reduce idling time by adjusting medians to accommodate longer left turn vehicle queues.
• Improve efficiency and reduce congestion by adjusting signal timing.
• Shorten pedestrian crossing distances by changing crosswalk alignments.
These funds are expected to be used for construction in 2013 or 2014.
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