Perhaps 80 view and comment on Mass. Ave. plans April 4

No microphones, no testimony, and very little shouting were in evidence at the open house to present the latest plans for Mass. Ave., held at the Hardy School on the night of April 4.

A lively crowd at the open house.

This was not a hearing but an open house, drawings and photos spread on on tables and folks from the town available to answer questions. Participants were encouraged to write comments on little yellow cards but it is unclear how those comments will weigh on the result.

Small tweaks led to major changes in Mass. Ave. design

The Mass. Ave. design open house at the Hardy School on April 4

Sweeping amendments to the design for Mass. Ave. in East Arlington stemmed from two small technical changes instigated last summer, according to those involved.

The decision to add an unneeded travel lane to Mass. Ave. eastbound between Pond Lane and Linwood Street, and the removal of safety features from the Wyman St. pedestrian crossing there, began as a desire for extra queuing capacity for cars waiting at the Linwood signal.

Similarly, the consolidation of two pedestrian crossings in East Arlington into a single crossing with no pedestrian island is solely a consequence of a decision to honor a request by the owner of the Arlington Restaurant to move the proposed bus-stop location, freeing up two parking spaces in front of the diner.

These two minor changes had major consequences when the consulting engineers and the town’s Transportation Advisory Committee began to fit them into the existing design framework and philosophy.

Town drops more safety features and a crosswalk on Mass. Ave.

The latest design for Mass. Ave. in East Arlington replaces two crosswalks with one and removes a pedestrian crossing island and other safety features that had been part of the plan.

Before vs. After

As proposed April 2011: Two crosswalks, both with safety features. The Milton St. crossing (at right) would have been new.

As revealed March 30: One crossing at Melrose with minimal safety features

The changes, depicted in drawings released on Friday, replace crossings at Marathon and Milton Streets with a single crosswalk at Melrose St.

Changes that similarly remove safety features from the Wyman St. crosswalk were made public earlier in March. The Town filed the changes with Mass. Highway in February.

Mass. Ave. loses safety features in abrupt design change

Both the pedestrian island (dark grey) and the flush median (crosshatched) are no longer in the plan for the Wyman St. crossing.

Arlington has changed its design for the western segment of the Mass. Ave. project, stripping the pedestrian crossing at Wyman St. of many safety features.

These include a pedestrian island that had been added in response to community concerns.

These changes allow for a second lane of inbound traffic that the Town’s consulting engineers had previously determined was not necessary.

Landscape-design drawings add detail to the business district

Capitol Square landscaping (from new drawings)

Landscape-design drawings for the East Arlington business district, detailing the possible placement of trees, benches, and other features, were posted at the Town’s web page earlier today.

The drawings appear identical to those presented at the July 20 meeting of the Mass. Ave. Review Committee, which were draft works in progress, not final blueprints.

Mass. Ave. design moves to trees and benches

The Town’s Mass. Ave. Review Committee saw preliminary drawings for sidewalk and landscape design at a meeting in the Senior Center last night.

The subsequent discussion emphasized the areas around Grafton Street and opposite Lake Street, and also an inbound bus stop proposed to be moved from the north to the south side of Milton Street to create three additional parking spaces.

Presentations from the staff touched on trees, “street furniture,” the MBTA’s plan to relocate bus stops, and the 75%-design process.

Seventy-Five-percent tidbits

There has not been much to say since MassDOT’s low-key approval of the 25% plans for Mass. Ave. moved us into the 75% design phase last month.

Things must have been moving behind the scenes, however, because the Town’s landscape consultants will unveil their draft design for the sidewalk space at a meeting of the Mass. Ave. Review Committee on July 20.

This has been an iterative process so I would expect the designers to propose changes in a future version based on how this one is received.

The Town has also made minor changes to its web page for the project.

The meeting will be in the Senior Center at 7 pm.

Plan “in accordance with” requirements, Mass Highway finds

The Mass. Ave. plan meets state guidelines, according to a letter from Mass. Highway to those who commented to the agency about the plan.

This low-key endorsement of the Town’s 25%-plan submission means the general features of the design are approved. The Selectmen voted to proceed with 75% plans, the next stage, last Monday.

The 25% and 75% designations are two of the three formal design phases.

Selectmen tout “major safety and mobility improvements”

The Board of Selectmen last night approved a letter to MassDOT “affirming the Town’s commitment to advance the roadway reconstruction of Mass. Ave.”

A scan of the letter is here, and the text follows the highlights I excerpt below.

• “The project underwent a conceptual design process that included 6 public meetings and 4 meetings in front of the Board of Selectmen….The plan has improved through this public process despite the continued opposition of some.
• “Massachusetts Avenue in East Arlington is in deteriorated condition….The new design will improve safety and mobility for drivers, pedestrians, bike riders, and transit riders using the corridor.
• “The Town recognizes that some residents….are concerned about the way the lanes are being configured. But…the data shows there is ample capacity to accommodate projected traffic, while providing major safety and mobility improvements for pedestrians and bike riders.
• “We respectfully request that the project be advanced to the 75% Design Phase.”

Selectmen move Mass. Ave. to next step

With little fanfare, the Board of Selectmen tonight voted to inform Mass. Highway that the Town would proceed into the so-called 75%-design phase of the Mass. Ave. Project.

The vote was 4-1, with Diane Mahon casting the only dissenting vote, which she qualified by saying that she nonetheless supported the move to the 75% phase.

Ad-funded bus shelters

The Town of Arlington is seeking a deal with a private company to erect ad-funded bus shelters on Mass. Ave., Broadway, and potentially other main streets in town.

Cemusa shelter at Mass. Ave and Columbus (Cambridge)

The shelters might look like this one just over the Town Line in North Cambridge:

Arlington is in talks with Cemusa to provide and maintain bus shelters in exchange for a share of revenue from shelter advertisements.

The Spanish-based company operates similarly in cities around the world, including New York, Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge. The shelter above is a Cemusa shelter.