Salem Bike Path Committee
Minutes of Meeting
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A regular meeting of the Salem Bike Path Committee was held on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Meeting Room 314 at City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street.
Members Present: William Peck, Jerry Judge, Stan Franzeen, Dan Shuman, Christine Michelini, David Pelletier, and Nancy Sachetti. Also present was Staff Planner Frank Taormina.
Members Absent: Rachel Hunt and Jeff Bellin
Public in Attendance: none
At 7:15 p.m Chairman Shuman called the meeting to order.
1. Approval of Minutes
S. Franzeen pointed out two errors in the minutes, one on page one and one on page three. Chairman Shuman asked for a motion to approve the minutes as amended. S. Franzeen made the motion to approve the December 10, 2008 Meeting Minutes as amended, seconded by J. Judge and approved unanimously.
2. Public Comment
No public comments were taken.
3. Old/New Business
Creation of a Comprehensive Bike Plan
F. Taormina updated the Committee on the City’s efforts to create a Comprehensive Bike Plan. He mentioned that the City Engineer has confirmed that Mass Highway Chapter 90 Funds could be used for such a plan, but there is an application and selection process that does not guarantee that the City will secure funds, and if the City does secure funds we will likely not receive them until late spring or early summer 2009. He mentioned that both he and the City Engineer are looking for other funding sources that the City could use (ie Bike Path Maintenance Funds) and secure sooner than that.
F. Taormina stated that while the City is trying to identify what funding source to use, the City has reached out to one of its On-Call Engineer Firms, Fay, Spofford, and Thorndike, Inc (FST) and asked them to put together a Scope of Services and Estimate for the preparation of a Comprehensive Bike Plan. Frank explained that the Scope would be reviewed by the Committee so that they can tailor it to the Committee’s goals and objectives.
S. Franzeen asked if the Scope and Estimate could he put together and forwarded to the Committee prior to the next meeting (February 11, 2008). F. Taormina replied, stating that he would talk to FST and request that it be submitted at least a week prior to the next meeting so that the Committee would have ample time to review prior to the meeting.
D. Pelletier was frustrated that the proposed green line bikeway would have to go through such a review process in order to be implemented. F. Taormina stated that in order for the bike lane to be implemented, the City must endorse it first. He stated that the City Engineer met with the Mayor and other Department Heads to discuss the proposal and they collectively agreed that putting together a comprehensive city-wide bike plan that is done by consulting traffic/bike engineers was imperative.
Chairman Shuman stated that the proposed green line bikeway could still be shown on maps but in order to install signs and pavement markings to delineate the bikeway on City Streets it must be reviewed and approved by engineers and endorsed by the City.
W. Peck stated that when he was on the City of Cambridge Bike Path Committee, prior to them implementing a bike land system on City Streets they had to go through a similar process and he agreed that it must be done to ensure that the bike lanes are safe and meet State/Federal Standards.
F. Taormina stated that the City cannot haphazardly start striping bike lanes and/or sharrows all over City Streets without knowing which streets can safely accommodate a bike lane or sharrow and which street should be avoided. He mentionend that the plan, among other things, will survey our streets and prioritize them into categories to determine which roads can accommodate a bike lane, which can accommodate sharrow, and which streets we should avoid all together.
D. Pelletier wanted to make know if the proposed green line bikeway could be fast-tracked and/or looked at first in the plan and/or implemented first when the plan was completed. F. Taormina stated that once the plan is complete the Committee can prioritize which bike lanes should be implemented first, second, and so on.
D. Pelletier stated that the bike plan should also identify ways that the Salem Bike Path and Salem Bike Lane network could connect with our surroundings communities to create a regional system. The Committee agreed that that was something they hope the plan would include. F. Taormina reminded the Committee that they would be reviewing the Scope of Services for the bike plan and they could tailor it to meet the Committee’s goals and objectives.
Update on the Salem Bike Path Extension
S. Franzeen asked if Frank had heard anything from the MBTA or the owner of the former Olive Oil Company on Canal Street regarding the rail spur access and the issues surrounding the extension of the Salem Bike Path through that portion of the Right-of-Way to downtown Salem.
F. Taormina stated that he has not heard back from either. He stated that he may do some research of his own at the Registry of Deeds because he has a copy of the most recent deed of the former Olive Oil Company. Frank stated that he would touch base with the MBTA and do his own research and report back to the Committee at the next meeting.
2009 Bike Safety Day Event
F. Taormina mentioned to the Committee that the Park and Recreation Department contacted him regarding the Bike Safety Day Event. They were finalizing their Spring/Summer 2009 Salem Recreational Brochure and wanted to confirm whether or not the Bike Path Committee was going to hold the event again in 2009.
F. Taormina mentioned that the last time he spoke to the Committee about it they preferred to collaborate with another group or event (ie the Police Department) rather than hold their own stand alone safety day event. He stated that he spoke to Captain Jodin at the Salem Police Department about collaborating with them on an event and he agreed. He also mentioned that since their deadline for information submittal for the brochure was prior to this meeting. He and Captain Jodin put together a very generic and broad description of a potential event that is TBA (To Be Announced) and for more info to contact either him or Capt. Jodin.
D. Pelletier stated that he doesn’t think that the Committee should host another bike safety event because we cannot draw that many people to the event. Instead he recommended that the Committee consider joining the Earth Day Event at Old Town Hall (referred to as the City of Salem Living Green Fair), which is a well attended and successful event. He also stated that he doesn’t feel that every member should be required to attend the event, but instead members that want to attend can attend.
N. Sachetti agreed with Dave and stated that we should participate in other successful event being planned in the City and not just advocate for bike safety but discuss the bike path and other committee initiatives.
W. Peck added that he has spoke to a bank and other businesses in the area to see if they would be interested in donating toward the cost of producing and distributing a City of Salem Bike Map and Bike Safety brochure. The brochure could be mailed out to the Salem Schools, and/or used as a handout at any event that the Committee is a part or at a Bike Event that the Committee is present at (i.e. the Witch’s Cup Bike Race).
D. Pelletier made a motion to participate in other events (i.e. The Salem Living Green Fair) as an alternative to holding a stand-alone Committee sponsored event. Seconded by S. Franzeen and approved unanimously.
W. Peck and N. Sachetti made a motion to have an 11” x 17” promotional Bike Map/Bike Safety Info Brochure for the purpose of handouts and mailings. Seconded by D. Pelletier and approved unanimously.
2009 MAPC Bike Parking Program
F. Taormina updated the Committee regarding the next round of funding for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Bike Parking Program. Frank mentioned that the vendor contracts with MAPC have expired and MAPC has put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for bike rack manufacturers for the 2009 MAPC Bike Parking Program. Frank stated that the City of Salem was the first city in the MAPC Region to subscribe, order, and install bike racks through this program and that the City of Salem has the only community to have order at least one rack from each of the three vendors last year. He mentioned that MAPC has asked representatives from a couple MAPC communities to assist in reviewing the 2009 RFP proposals and making a selection. Frank stated that MAPC is mailing the proposals to him soon and
sometime next week he will go into Boston to MAPC’s Office to help in the selection process.
F. Taormina stated that once MAPC executes contracts with the selected vendors then the program will take effect, and as soon as it does, he will subscribe to the program and the Committee can discuss the location and style of additional bike parking facilites in Salem.
The Committee Members asked F. Taormina a number of questions regarding this round of funding and discussion ensued.
Other New Business
D. Pelletier mentioned that he spoke to Tony Sasso, Marblehead Town Manager and Dana Snow, Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission. He would like to invite one or both of them to a future meeting to discuss linking downtown Salem to downtown Marblehead via the Salem Bike Path and Marblehead Recreational Trial. He would also like to discuss and request necessary upgrades and repairs to the Marblehead Recreational Trail.
D. Pelletier followed up on a request he made last year to have the City pave around the bike gates, as the gates are locked and the gravel/pea stone that currently exists around the bike gates at Lafayette Street Entrance and the Loring Ave Entrance are not adequate for bikers. F. Taormina apologized to the Committee for not addressing that request this year. He stated that it is on his list of things to do and he will ask DPW to take care of that this spring and if DPW cannot get to it, he will get quotes and have a contractor do it.
S. Franzeen mentioned that there is a Woman’s Bike Race in Boston that is being planned and in the coming months would like the Committee to help get the word out. The Committee agreed to help.
F. Taormina asked the Committee if at the end of each meeting in the future if they could discuss agenda items for that next meeting. The Committee agreed that that was a good idea. Discussion ensued. The Committee agreed to discuss the following items at the next meeting: Committee Mission Statement, Salem Bike Map/Bike Safety Brochure, Salem Bike Path Extension Update, Scope of Services for Comprehensive Bike Plan.
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Committee this evening, Chairman Shuman asked for a motion to close the public meeting. C. Michelini made a motion to adjourn, seconded by J. Judge and approved unanimously. The meeting was officially adjourned at 8:32 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by:
Frank Taormina,
Staff Planner/Harbor Coordinator
BPC 1-14-2009
| 
