HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 20, 2021 i ;; (-11 C ti; •
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Town and County of Nantucket
ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE
Posted Meeting of July 20, 2021
Held by Zoom Videoconferencing
FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES
1. Call to Order, Approval of the Agenda, Approval of Minutes, and Public Comments.
A. Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 4:01 pm. In attendance were Rick
Atherton), Ed Gillum, Bill Grieder, Nat Lowell, Allen Reinhard, and Lee Saperstein; there was a
quorum at all times. All responded to an attendance roll call. The meeting was recorded and can
be viewed on You Tube. Campbell Sutton, guest,joined at 4:40 pm. Absent were Nelson
(Snookie) Eldridge and Phil Smith.
B. Approval of the Agenda. The agenda was approved unanimously by acclamation.
C. Public Comments.
No public comments. Allen Reinhard, in chair's comments. told of reviewing committee
minutes from 2005, when he joined the committee, to today and how impressed he was with the
committee's achievements, the principal ones of which he recounted. He noted that the
committee is advisory to the Select Board and has had its advice realized into practice in areas
such as potential road takings, sidewalk restoration, and location of bike paths. On its own
merits, the committee has created the Women's Monument at Founder's Burial Ground and
cleared access to that cemetery. There are many more, some of which can be seen in the projects
list at the end of the minutes.
Bill Grieder suggested that the committee send a formal letter of thanks to Leslie Forbes for her
extensive contributions, particularly with respect to access to the waterfront. He felt. also. that a
copy should go to the Select Board for their recognition as well. {Action: Lee Saperstein to
draft a letter for Allen Reinhard to send.]
Lee Saperstein noted that there is a committee vacancy. Allen Reinhard urged everyone to be a
recruiter for the committee. Nat Lowell asked if the Town could advertise the vacancy and the
response was that the Town has published a generic ad for vacancies. In recruiting. Allen
Reinhard said that we should parallel the Town's interest in diversity. equity. and inclusion. He
also reported that the Civic League is working on a sequence of webinars that promote
participation in committees and boards.
D. Annual Committee Reorganization. This being the first meeting of the new fiscal year. Allen
Reinhard said that it is time to elect officers. A new vice-chair is needed with the non-renewal of
Leslie Forbes, former vice-chair. Nat Lowell jumped in and nominated, as renewals, Allen
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Reinhard, Chair, and Lee Saperstein, Secretary. Bill Grieder seconded and approval was
unanimous. For Vice-Chair, Rick Atherton nominated Bill Grieder, Ed Gillum seconded. and
approval was unanimous. All votes were by roll call.
E. Minutes. Approval of the minutes from May 18, 2021, was moved by Nat Lowell, seconded
by Bill Grieder, and approved unanimously by roll-call vote. For the record, a mix-up with the
Zoom sign-in procedure caused cancelation of the June meeting.
2. Impact of ATM and Ballot Approval of Lovers Lane and Newtown Roads.
Allen Reinhard was pleased with the approval of projects for badly needed improvements to
Lovers Lane and Newtown Road, including paving, repaving where necessary, and construction
of bike paths or sidewalks. The improvement in safety will be substantial. He noted that Lovers
Lane was included in our letter of November 20, 2020, to the Select Board and Town Manager:
this is another achievement on the Committee's part. Lee Saperstein agreed with Allen
Reinhard; Nat Lowell reported that the Town expects its newly recruited Transportation Planner
to arrive on August 12th and that there may be a greeting reception for him. It was noted that the
previous transportation planner was an ex officio member of the Committee and it is hoped that
this one will be so, too.
Nat Lowell also reported that Mary Longacre, newly appointed to the Nantucket Planning and
Economic Development Commission, has been elected as its 2021-2022 Vice-Chair.
3. Committee Position and Recommendation Re: Rotaries.
As an explanation for putting this topic on the agenda, Allen Reinhard said that he thought that
the non-binding warrant article forbidding rotaries near schools was ill-advised and dangerous.
The traffic queues that build up behind the stop signs at Five Corners and the intersection of
Surfside and Bartlett Roads were wasteful of time and fuel and responsible for unnecessary air
emissions. He said that rotaries gentled traffic while efficiently moving them though
intersections. In his mind, the issue in favor of rotaries was principally one of safety and he
believed that it was time to say so to the planners and the Select Board.
Lee Saperstein added that he strongly supports this position and would make a motion to this
effect. He noted also that he had shared an opinion piece with the committee (attached). Ed
Gillum said that he had lived and drove in London and could report on that city's extensive use
of roundabouts. He found that rotaries are effective and, with good and well-placed sidewalks
and crosswalks, safe.
While there was general consensus in support of a statement of support for rotaries. there was
also caution about not moving too quickly. Ed Gillum suggested that we consider the location of
crosswalks near rotaries to optimize the safe usage of them. Allen Reinhard and Nat Lowell both
remarked that there will be a reconstruction of the Milestone Rotary for the very reason of
pedestrian safety. Nat Lowell also said that Lee Saperstein's comment that roundabouts and
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rotaries were the same thing and merely semantically different may have been true at one time
but that they now differ by their layout. Ed Gillum added that crosswalks near schools always
had crossing guard to ensure safe crossings by students.
Rick Atherton asked about the timing of any submission to be made and suggested that the topic
come up again to allow for input from others including the new transportation planner. In
response Allen Reinhard said that, to him, this was a critical safety issue. He did accept,
however, that this year's capital budget is set and that we have time to deliberate and still get our
thoughts before the Select Board in time for next year's budget. Additionally. he would like to
provide a draft letter for the committee to consider and edit before we take a final vote. Nat
Lowell reminded the committee that the Town has been talking about road intersections by the
schools since 2005 and that it was time to act. He acknowledged, though, that waiting until we
could see a draft letter was wise. Lee Saperstein agreed and said that he would not make a
motion at this meeting but would wait until it was again on the agenda.
4. Discussion of Other Out of Town Streets That Are Connectors Between Town Without
Sidewalks.
Allen Reinhard said that this was an important topic for the committee but that he would like to
assemble more information before proceeding to discuss it; hence, he will defer this to a future
agenda. Lee Saperstein said that he was all ready to talk about North Beach Street and Ed
Gillum said that he knew of smaller connecting streets that do not have sidewalks. Lee
Saperstein suggested that committee members send their proposed streets and ways to Allen for
the future discussion.
5. Old, New, and Other Business, and Member Comments,
Allen Reinhard spoke of our memorandum of November 20`h to the Select Board on streets that
need sidewalks, which is the one referenced in agenda item 2. on Lovers Lane, and how
concerned he is to receive an update on it. He also hopes to get an update on our
recommendation for the taking of Winn Street and portions of Somerset Road. He noted that
Phil Smith is working on an accurate listing of public versus private ways on Nantucket. He is
hopeful that this project will also identify ways that access the waterfront and are in need of
protection.
In a separate topic,Nat Lowell spoke of his concern for electrically powered vehicles, bicycles
and skateboards, that travel on bike paths at unsafely high speeds. Lee Saperstein suggested that
we work on this issue jointly with the Traffic Safety Work Group and the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee.
Bill Grieder spoke of his concern for maintenance and repair of milestone posts along the
Madaket and Milestone Roads. He shared a photograph of one that is short and often hit by cars
as they park on the road's shoulder and another photograph of a post hidden by shrubbery. Allen
Reinhard replied that he would ask the DPW to add the milestone posts to their maintenance list.
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6. Adjourn.
Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 5:12 pm by consensus. The next meeting will be held
at 4:00 pm on Tuesday,August 17, 2021.
Lee W. Saperstein, Secretary Date
Roads and Right of Way Outstanding Projects List:
Public Way Monument Project: (Lee & Allen & Snookie)
• Install remaining monuments at 'Sconset Footpath, Hulbert Ave.
• Update file of existing monuments
• Move monuments at Westchester St. Ext. & Crooked Lane
Sidewalk Projects: (Allen)
• Prospect St. (bike path to Upper Vestal St.) and on to Madaket bike path
• Cliff Rd. Coffin Park to bike path at Sherburne Tpk.
• Pleasant St. Gardner Perry Lane to Williams St.
• Follow implementation of downtown sidewalk improvements
• Bike/Pedestrian connection from Surfside to Hummock Pond to Madaket paths
Harbor Walk Project: (Rick)
• Identify route and identify sections needing constructed walkway
• Concept drawings of construction required
• List permits and approvals needed and process to obtain
• Funding
Chapter 91 Monitor Project: (Leslie & Lee)
• Define goals for project
• Make local license information available on line
• Chapter 91 licenses along route for the Harbor Walk
• Locate other locations on Nantucket and Madaket Harbors requiring licenses
Nantucket Greenway and Trail System Project: (Allen and Lee)
• Nantucket Central Rail Road trail
• Map existing island trail and footpath systems and identify missing links
• How should maps and information be shared?
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E-Mail from Lee Saperstein to Libby Gibson, Town Manager, and Andrew Vorce, Director of
Planning; sent June 6, 2021.
Andrew and Libby: It was my intention to speak against the "roundabout prohibition" article but
a medical concern got in my way. According to the I & M, it passed by a narrow margin and is
non-obligatory. Below is what I was going to say. If this should also go to the Select Board, that
would be fine with me. I'm happy to chat more about my concern.
Reasons not to have a stop-sign controlled intersection at Bartlett and Surfside Roads.
1. The proposed Roundabout was designed by a traffic expert for whom I have a great deal
of respect. Many of us are experienced drivers but few of us are traffic-design
experts. Mike Burns is.
2. Stop Sign discipline on Nantucket is not good. I had occasion to make that remark to
Chief Pittman and he regaled me with anecdotes of bad stop-sign behavior that he and his
officers had seen.
3. The two existing rotaries, Milestone and Sparks, are surrounded by pedestrian
crosswalks. I have not heard that the incidence of accidents is greater there than at stop
signs.
4. The traffic back-up at the existing intersection is frustratingly long and wasteful of fuel.
5. With respect to children and roundabouts, I am something of an old experienced hand;
they are respectful of traffic. In the last Christmas break before the pandemic. we visited
with my London family and it fell upon me to do the school run with my
granddaughter. The route included the A316, a major artery in and out of London and
with roundabouts of all sizes and traffic control; the route also included city streets
through Twickenham, also with roundabouts including mini-ones. The last were really
painted circles in the middle of existing intersections. To the point, I passed at least six
schools with school children of both primary and secondary ages. Id ask my
granddaughter if she recognized their uniforms and she would tell me to which school
they were going. Uniformly rambunctious and raucous on the sidewalk, they were
careful and cautious as they approached pedestrian crossings. Children have a strong
sense of self-protection, at least where traffic is concerned.
For your amusement. My experience is that they are rotaries in Massachusetts. roundabouts in
England, and traffic circles in New Jersey and New York. The distinction is purely diction; any
attempt at making technical distinctions is pushing the noodle. All the same thing.
Thanks for reading. Lee
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