CDM Smith
Proposed redesigned Winthrop-Edgewood intersection.
City traffic commissioners held off on clearing the way for the proposed west side two-way bike track along Edgewood from Forest Road to Park Street until they hear that the neighborhood’s alders are on board.
The $1.2 million largely state-funded dedicated cycle track along Edgewood Avenue, which would be the largest in the state, calls for creating a two-mile long, two-way cycle track from Forest Road to Park Street.
The plan had received unanimous approval from the City Plan Commission last month. Now the approval of the traffic commissioners is also required before the city can build it.
Traffic Commissioner Walker and Hausladen.
That’s because the plan calls for creating the cycle track includes improvements to pedestrian crossings and intersections, new signals specifically for bike traffic, and fixing a problem intersection at Winthrop and Edgewood avenues.
City transit chief Doug Hausladen presented to the proposal to commissioners at their regular monthly meeting last week at 1 Union Ave., seeking a vote of approval. It wasn’t forthcoming. Commissioners decided to wait a month to take a vote.
The project originated back in 2007 with traffic-calming remedies proposed for the schools along Edgewood, and has had extensive community vetting since.
Still the commissioners seemed peeved that the complex plan was being presented to them as a fait accompli. As Commissioner Stephen Garcia put it, “This the final plan?”
“Pretty close,” Hausladen replied.
Additional grants have been applied for and “we’re in the final state environmental review for that and [new] signals,” Hausladen added.
CDM Smith
Commissioner Greg Smith expressed concern that the plan calls for traffic to be reduced to one lane on Edgewood near Amistad Academy. He suggested that might cause a problem during kid drop-off and pick-up times.
Hausladen replied that he continues to work with the school’s principal on implementing a bus transportation plan. Hausladen conceded at certain times, it well might be slow going for motorists at that point on Edgewood with the new cycle track. (Some neighbors have been asking the city to slow down traffic in that area, fearing for kids’ lives.)
Lengthy discussion ensued about who loses parking and who doesn’t along the route.
“Most of the houses there [at the west end of the project] have garages and driveways,” said Commissioner Donald Walker. “What happens near Troup” School?
“East of Winthrop the parking won’t get touched. There’s a lot of multi-family homes, and they need their on-street parking,” Hausladen replied.
Commissioner Evelise Ribeiro and Chair Anthony Dawson.
Commissioners said they hesitate to approve without further study.
“You have all the alder support for this?” Commissioner Stephen Garcia asked.
Hausladen answered that he had not had time to get letters of support from all the alders in the affected wards, which include the Dwight, Edgewood, West River areas.
“We’re getting those next month. We can table until next month, with the alders,” he suggested.
The commissioners took him up on his offer.
Commissioner Diaz moved to table the cycle-track “until we have sufficient [alder] input.” The commissioners voted in agreement.
Contacted after the meeting, Westville Alder Adam Marchand noted that he has already publicly declared his support of the plan. Marchand said he first made sure that the design didn’t interfere with pick-up and drop-off at Edgewood School and that the details didn’t create new problems at the reconfigured end of the grassy Edgewood median “mall.”
“It looks pretty darn good right now,” Marchand said. “I’m excited about the project. For me it was always a question of execution.”
Edgewood Alder Evette Hamilton said she, too, supports the project in general, though she wants to be brought up to date on the final details so she can inform constituents. “We need traffic to slow down on Edgewood Avenue. We see accidents and near-misses” too often.
Paul Bass contributed reporting.