Meeting Minutes 9.14.2017
<p>Bike/ Walk Path Meeting Minutes</p><p> </p><p>Call to order</p><p>A meeting of Westport Bike/ Walk Path was held at Westport Public Library on September 14, 2017 at 7:35pm.</p><p>Attendees</p><p>Attendees included : Gail Roderigues, Steve Ouellette, Marjorie Howland, Monica Faria, Keith MacDonald and Bette Low. Members not in attendance: Anthony Ward.</p><p>Election of officers</p><p>Motion made to elect Gail Roderigues- Chairman, Monica Faria- Vice Chairman, and Bette Low- Secretary. APPROVED UNANIMOUS* (* Keith abstained as he has not yet been sworn in by the town clerk)</p><p>History of Bike/Walk Path in Westport</p><p>For over 5 years Gail has been the representative from Westport to the South Coast Bike Alliance. The goal of the Alliance is to create a continuous multi-use bikeway between Cape Cod and Rhode Island, through the communities of Seekonk, Swansea, Somerset, Fall River, Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion, and Wareham. Westport is the last town to form a bike/walk path committee. Many of the towns have already created Class 1 ( off road) paths: the Quequechan in Fall River and the Phoenix in Fairhaven are two examples. There are 25.08 miles complete of this multi use pathway. Westport is a gap in this project.</p><p>Wareham just got funding from the Transportation Infrastructure Project ” TIP” program of the Department of Transportation “DOT” to begin construction after 20 years of planning and organizing. Mattapoisett and Marion are also working on off road projects. Unlike some other towns in the area, we can’t convert “rails to trails “using old railway lines as our rail lines are still active through part of the town.</p><p>Gail said that our committee has the backing of the South Coast Bike Alliance. And also an active partner In the Dartmouth Bike Path Committee which has proposed a Northern Trail or “The Southcoast Scenic Greenway” trail. She will invite representatives from both groups to speak with us.</p><p>Subjects of discussion:</p><p>Class 1 trails: “Northern Trail” and potential routes through Westport., Route 88 easement and potential bike trail, Class 2 trails: “restripe-ing” of roads to create bike lanes, funding through SRPEDD, Community Preservation funds and DOT “TIP”and Chapt 90 money might pay for restripe-ing, trailhead parking, and keeping Westport Recreation and Committee on Disability in the loop. Keith asked is the regional trail our sole focus or are we looking at the big picture of bike and pedestrian access throughout the town?</p><p> </p><p>Committee procedures</p><p>Keith suggested he reach out to Jim Hartnet, - we agreed (Steve reminded him that all committee emails and correspondence should cc the chair)</p><p>Gail invited all to the next Bikeways Alliance mtg Oct 10 @ 6pm in Dart Town Hall- (Steve reminded all that is more than 3 of us attended we have to post this meeting as one of our meetings)</p><p>Announcements</p><p>NEXT MEETING: we are planning on meeting once a month (perhaps the third Thursday) but our next meeting October 12 at 7:15 in the Westport Public Library Historical Room</p><p>South Coast Bikeways Alliance is having two workshops in trail building Oct 21 and 28 check their website to sign up.</p><p>MassDOT is asking help in updating their State Bike Plan- Please take the survey at bit.ly/MABikePlan-Engage</p><p>and SRPEDD is working on a Regional Pedestrian Plan which will determine current conditions for pedestrians & ways to improve sidewalks please take their survey at www.surveymonday.com/r/ped_walking_survey</p><p>Bette Low</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Secretary</p><p> </p><p>Date of approval</p><p> </p>