North Amherst residents will be pleased to know their major thoroughfare will be a lot more drivable by the end of "this construction season," (which usually means when the snow flies) after a base coat of pavement will be put down the entire length of Pine Street.
It has been a long haul thus far with the road ripped up for water sewer upgrades and then a major overhaul which is yet to come, but should be completed in calender 2015.
Bumper stickers available at Cushman Market
The town twice put in for a $4.3 million MassWorks grant but were turned down both times. DPW Chief Guilford Mooring reports we have spent $1.8 million in Water & Sewer fund money so far and a funding request to complete the work will go to the Fall Town Meeting somewhere in the $2 million range.
The Town Manager will make a recommendation to the Select Board about the final tweaks, which hinge on whether there should be a separate bike lane AND sidewalk or just one multi-use path for both.
The Public Works Committee already voted unanimously for the single 10 foot wide multi-use path on the south side of Pine Street. The town needs to confirm final layout before putting down the base coat. The Select Board has final say.
Pine/Bridge Street roundabout (near Cushman Market) now off the table because of how much land taking would be required
What about Station road up near the Belchertown line to the bike path?
ReplyDeleteif private land needs taking for a ten foot multi use path,will this be tied up in land court for years and years
ReplyDeleteThat's why the "roundabout" option at Bridge/Pine is now off the table.
ReplyDeleteMulti use path? Cool.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this has to do with a suggestion I made 2 years back. The committee (or advisory board or whatever it was) then voted to set up a study.
The biggest concern at that time was the number of intersections (crossings/driveways) where the path conflicted with cars. The south side had long stretches without such crossings which may have made it more feasible.
In terms of land, consider the base concept included bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides. So combined, and without interfering with the width of the road, there is quite a bit of space to "play" with.
Larry, do you have any more details (links?) on the current options for pine st?
As someone who often walks two unruly dogs on Pine Street, I'm not excited about sharing the sidewalk with bicycles, so I would vote for the separate bike lane.
ReplyDeletethe sidewalk east of east-pleasant is on the north side,the sidewalk south of lower state st. is on the north side,keep the sidewalk on the same side[north] all the way,then no running across the very busy and speeding street,two or three times trying to be safe walking on Pine st.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to die!
ReplyDeleteI just want to ride my bicycle!
Simplest, cheapest ... ans (maybe) best plan:
ReplyDeletea) 4'-5' bikelane on "uphill" (eastbound, south, i.e.) side think of it as a slow-vehicle climbing lane - no curb separation, but rather an extra-wide shoulder;
b) 5'-6' sidewalk (wide enough for kids to bike or for 2 wheelchairs to pass) on the "downhill" (westbound, south) side;
c) use low-slope "Cape Cod" curbing as much as possible on both sides.
No land takings required, and this avoids the major engineering and steep-slope stabilization that moving the main road northward would entail if a 10" path were placed on the south side....
(westbound, NORTH)
ReplyDelete