DRAFT
TOWN OF MANSFIELD
Transportation Advisory Committee
Minutes of the Meeting
10/7/08
Present: Gardner (Chair), Nash, Frantz, Koehn, Taylor, Moran (guest), Hultgren (staff)
The meeting convened at 7:03 p.m.
The minutes of the May 20, 2008 meeting were approved on a motion by Nash/Gardner.
The status of the fare free bus system was discussed and a draft press release was circulated. Ridership is up and at its highest level ever. The Town has inventoried the bus stops in Mansfield for needed maintenance work and posted new schedules. A stop on Clover Mill Road (northern loop) will be opened on a trial basis as soon as some tree trimming is done and the bus stop signs erected. An additional stop has been requested on Rte. 275 at the Town Hall/Community Center for the northbound bus which doesn't stop at the Town Hall/Community Center until it has been out to the Senior Center and back. (Hultgren polled members after the meeting). The request will be forwarded to WRTD.
It was suggested something be posted on the busses to get student representatives willing to advocate to the USG for the fare-free program (and its continued funding). Staff will explore this idea. Koehn said that the WRTD scheduling still doesn't coordinate well with the Arrow commuter bus at the Frontage Road lot. Staff was asked to explore this as well. A letter proposed to help fund the WRTD bus by a property tax levy on properties near the bus route was discussed. Most members did not favor the proposal citing a wider (community-wide) benefit of the bus line.
The walkway /bikeway priority listing was reviewed and three changes agreed upon. First, the project to extend a walkway or bikeway from the four-corners intersection north to the Holiday Mall area was moved up into the numbered higher priority projects. Secondly, a project to make shoulder improvements (to make biking safer) on Rte. 195 between Bassetts Bridge Road and Puddin Lane was added. Finally, a bike path or other paving along Bousa Road was added as a project. Staff will update the listing and have the Traffic Authority review it as well.
Hultgren explained that the Separatist Road bikeway had received an APWA "project of the year" award and that construction had begun on the path on Hunting Lodge Road between North Eagleville and Carriage House.
The DOT policy page of the new draft CT bicycle plan was discussed. Hultgren noted that although the DOT plan was an improvement, DOT policies still stick the local municipalities with maintenance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities alongside state highways. He will draft a suggestion for the plan to address this issue as well.
Hultgren updated members on current projects including the Downtown project grant status, bridge projects, intersection changes (done, proposed and requested) and speed hump requests.
The request to eliminate the centerline stripe on Flaherty road was discussed. Noting that the Traffic Authority had jurisdiction in this matter, it was recommended a criteria or policy on striping be adopted and followed. (Not everyone agreed with the request to eliminate the stripe).
It was noted that the CT Public Transportation Commission was meeting on October 8th in Windham. At least one member (Gardner) planned to attend. The committee voted unanimously to support the re-establishment of commuter bus service from Storrs to Hartford.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lon Hultgren
Director of Public Works
cc: Town Manager, Town Clerk, Director of Planning, Assistant Town Engineer, Project Engineer, Recycling Coordinator, file