Salem Bike Path Committee
Minutes of Meeting
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
A regular meeting of the Salem Bike Path Committee was held on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in room 314 at City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street.
Members Present: Dan Shuman, Jeff Bellin, Rachel Hunt, Jerome Judge, Stan Franzeen, David Pelletier, and Nancy Sachetti. Also present was Frank Taormina, Staff Planner/Harbor Coordinator.
Members Absent: None
Guests: Mike Sosnowski (Ward II Councilor) and Laurie Bellin (Resident, 396 Essex Street)
In the brief absence of Chairman Shuman, Vice Chair Jeff Bellin called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm
The vote on approval of the minutes from the January 10, 2007 meeting was continued due to technical difficulties in distributing the minutes.
S. Franzeen suggested taking the agenda out of order, in order to vote on Bike Racks Styles first to get the ball rolling. The committee agreed unanimously.
S Franzeen made a motion to have Frank give an update on the $19,000 on our Mass. Highway funds and then to proceed to Agenda Item 4.
F. Taormina – Group discussed top priorities, which included:
· Replace missing signage
· Fix footing around bike gate
· Re-stripe crosswalks at each intersection (green)
· Remove old posts at the Loring Street location
· Pave around bike gates
After discussing these items with the City Planning Department, Frank stated that these are maintenance items and funding to pay for these items would come from the Bike Path Maintenance funds. The only item considered new construction that we could utilize Mass Highway funds is paving around bike gates.
D Pelletier made a motion that Frank draft a letter on behalf of the committee to the Marblehead Light Commission to invite them to our next meeting to discuss safety and maintenance concerns with the portion of the Marblehead Recreation Trail that is located within the City of Salem city limits.
S Franzeen seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
F. Taormina stated that he would have a draft of the letter available for the members to review at the next meeting.
S. Franzeen made a motion to continue to discuss the expenditure of the remaining Mass Highway Transportation Enhancement Funding for Phase I of the Bike Path.
J Bellin seconded the motion
The motion passed unanimously.
Discussion ensued about how to spend the money. D Pelletier suggested that the most important priority is safety, paving around the entrance.
D Pelletier suggested that solar powered trash could be helpful. S. Franzeen referenced a letter from Representative John Keenan regarding solar trashcans. S. Franzeen showed pictures of cans that are in Boston.
F Taormina reminded the group that there was interest in lighting and mentioned that he had a conversation with Ward Councilor Joseph O’Keefe who recalls a condition in an MOU with the neighboring residents that there would not be light pollution from the Bike Path, but solar or motion-detected lights might be a good alternative.
D. Shuman suggested that we locate a couple benches along the bike path.
F. Taormina said that he would get quotes on all three items listed above, and report back to the committee at the next meeting on his findings.
Jerome Judge reminded the group that kiosks were also discussed.
S. Franzeen made a motion that Frank price the four items above.
N. Sachetti seconded the motion. Discussion ensued about the look of the kiosk, etc. look of benches, securing them, placement.
F. Taormina said that he would price the items and send board members the week before the meeting.
The motion passed unanimously.
N Sachetti asked if Frank would send out photos/spec of the items. Dan asked for only two choices of each item.
MAPC Bike Parking Program – Discuss and vote on preferred Bike Racks.
D. Pelletier described his idea about fitting rack designs for locations (i.e., circles racks for parking meters in dense downtown area, something more aesthetic for the Salem Common/Historic Districts, and the U-Rack Model for schools/parks).
F Taormina reminded the committee that the installation of any bike racks downtown must be reviewed and approved by the Salem Redevelopment Authority (SRA) and its Design Review Board (DRB).
D Pelletier commented that some of the current bike racks downtown are ill placed.
D Shuman said that he got prior approval from the SRA/DRB when he installed a bike rack in front of his store and some other locations. He mentioned that those racks could be replace with the new style.
N Sachetti asked if there was an inventory of current locations of racks.
D Pelletier said that we have the opportunity to correct something that doesn’t exist, racks at schools. Again, fit rack to location. Identify three designs and then go and identify locations.
D Shuman commented that businesses could locate a sign to a bike rack, like he currently does.
D Pelletier suggested having a painting party to promote the new racks. He said that he believed everything should be black.
F Taormina said that the Bike Hitch model is essentially a sleeve that would cover the existing pole and the parking meter heads would be removed off the existing pole, the Bike Hitch sleeve would be placed over the existing pole and the meter head reattached. However, the City will install all of the racks.
F Taormina also mentioned that because all of the meters would not be replaced, not all the parking meter poles would be black, like the ones replaced with the Bike Hitch Bike Rack.
S Franzeen said that he did not like the last Vintage Rack Style and stated that Front Street should have Vintage Racks not the Bike Hitch model over the parking meters. They could be off -street as opposed to on the sidewalks.
The other committee members agreed that they would rather use the Bike Hitch Racks downtown and use a Vintage Racks Style in Salem Common and the historic districts.
N. Sachetti suggested that we talk about style first and then location. The committee narrowed the bike rack choices for the Vintage Racks to the following models:
Rack 1 (The Plymouth) – has a lighter feel to it, less to break off of it, more of a flare than 2 which is like a wagon wheel, could be vandalized
Rack 2 (The Fulton) – more sturdy, simply, nice arch, looks like 1 with a thing on the bottom, heavy, too much, straightforward. Public Comment offered in support of Rack 2. F Taormina offered support of Rack 1. The committee voted 4-3 in favor of Rack 1. (The Plymouth).
U-Racks for schools and parks locations were discussed. Discussion of U-Two vs. Cutless/Heavy Duty Winder to vote. D. Pelletier suggested that the looping of the Cutless was unattractive. D. Shuman agreed that the Cutless would be less practical than the U-Two model.
S Franzeen made a motion to use the U-Two model racks.
J. Judge seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
D Pelletier made a motion to find locations, discuss and make recommendations at next meeting.
N Sachetti seconded the motion
Discussion ensued.
The motion passed unanimously.
Jeff Bellin made a motion to continue the proposed Green Line Bike Trail until the next meeting.
D Shuman seconded the motion.
Passed unanimously.
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Committee this evening a motion was made by Dan Shuman to adjourn the meeting, seconded by S. Franzeen and approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by:
Rachel Hunt, Clerk
Salem Bike Path Committee
BPC031407
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