Thanks to Jack for going to Bennett Field so that I can cover this meeting (Public Service and Transportation, which will be discussing the CMRPC Worcester Regional Mobility Study among regular street light business).
Handling street lights first.
7.09pm – Bulbs.com will be getting a street light at 243 Stafford (or thereabouts).
7:11 – McKeon Road – city will construct new sidewalk and lights in 2012, feds will be paying for it.
7:11 – 137 West Boylston – Fiore recommends installing light there.
7:12 – Fiore says that there is a gap in lighting on Stockton Street from Ames Street to Vernon Street. He thinks it will be pretty expensive, and to install would require digging and trenching. Recommends hold pending a report.
7:15 – on to the main item on the agenda…
Mary Ellen Blunt (sp?) from CMRPC is here to make an opening statement. Funding for the study came from federal and MassDOT. They hired VHB to perform the study. They’ll be doing a presentation tonight. “This is the master-level plan”; still looking for input at this level.
7:17 – Donald Cook from VHB. Will give quick overview, draft recommendations, next steps, and answer questions.
The study area started as a circle around Worcester, and expanded to an “amoeba shape.” Various areas were expanded to include an interchange or particular roadway. Some of the goals were reducing congestion, improving safety and economic development.
They had four public meetings, 17 technical and advisory group meetings, and some other small group sessions. Process began in November 2008.
7:21 – The website contains everything he will be discussing tonight.
Now he’s heading into the Draft Recommendations section of the presentation. “Understanding the limited financial resources that the state … is experiencing right now…” all recommendations would be overwhelming to existing funding resources.
The timelines listed are not in any way supposed to represent a prioritization. The timelines represent a reasonable estimate in how long they think it would take to go through a process, get funding, etc.
“An attempt to make sure this was not just about cars.” A number were related to pedestrians, bicycles, transit; “idea of enhancing east-west mobility through” the area of the study and Worcester in particular. Continue reading