Health & Fitness
Debate in Depth Part 1: Greenway / Bike Path
I recently posted the entire Stoneham Selectman Candidates’ Debate that took place last week, but I know with busy schedules, it’s hard to find time to sit through an almost hour-long forum. In this final week leading to the election, I will be posting a series of blog entries that tackle each individual issue that was asked about.
Tonight I will start with the Greenway / Bikeway question and answers from both my opponent and myself.
The Bikeway / Greenway Committee has been working to bring this project to Stoneham for the past 20 years. There have been numerous community challenges to this project, and often our residents are unaware of the issues. I worked directly with the BW/GW Committee and our attorney to ensure two areas of significant encroachment were resolved, and I continue to be vigilant in protecting the BW/GW. I also communicated issues to Stoneham residents as they arose so they would be aware of the potential loss of valuable assets, as well as the influx of over 5M in improvements to Stoneham as a result.
Last fall the BW/GW Committee cleaned a significant area of the trail so that residents could at least begin to envision the final project. This project will bring Stoneham something we have not received in a while – a great deal of money from the State! There are still obstacles to overcome in this project, and this year will be important to ensure funding is actually released and Stoneham secures a significant new asset. I will continue to work with the BW/GW Committee to make sure this happens.
Find out what's happening in Stonehamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Although my opponent agreed with me on aspects of the BW/GW, she did express concern as it relates to safety. I want to ensure residents that pedestrian safety was considered even before the blueprints to the project were drawn up. In fact, all of these plans are (and always have been) publicly available for viewing. When I ran 9 months ago, I did my own research on the BW. The committee wanted to know my stand on the project in the form of a written statement. As I don’t like to give an endorsement without being completely clear and comfortable on the facts, I researched the project using multiple sources before I made my statement. Safety was one of the issues I investigated upfront.
Traffic studies and sign visibility studies were a part of the strategy and have since been completed. As a result, several safety features were worked into the plan. In particular, there were three areas of concern: Pleasant Street, Main Street, and Montvale Avenue. On Pleasant Street a pedestrian activated light will be installed. This is terrific because Pleasant Street is a walking route for some children on their way to school. This street does not presently have this feature.
Find out what's happening in Stonehamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Once the BW/GW is complete, school children will have the light as well as the path, making it safer than it is now. Crossings were moved at Main and Montvale to accommodate vision obstacles. Bollards, epoxy paint and signage have all been included in the plan. Pedestrian safety was of utmost consideration from the very beginning, and I’m very excited for this project to become a reality!
Here is the question regarding the Greenway, along with my answer:
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The following video features my opponent’s answer at minute marker 2:05:
