A plan to install a signal at the intersection of Lake Street at the ever-popular Minuteman Bikeway in East Arlington is moving forward. The Design Review Committee met on July 6 to discuss the layout of the intersection, of which a rough design will be presented at a public forum later this month. The committee was formed in February of last year after a unanimous vote from the Board of Selectmen and includes representatives of the town of Arlington and community groups such as East Arlington Livable Streets. The committee also includes Jason Sobel, a representative from Green International Affiliates, the engineering company helping to redesign the intersection.



Flow of traffic on the bikeway



Preliminary drawings of the intersection show how the existing path will be modified to separate the mixed traffic of pedestrians and bicyclists on the Minuteman Bikeway. Town Engineer Wayne Chouinard introduced a design that would create a center lane for bicyclists and have pedestrians on the side, similar to how traffic already flows on the bike path with pedestrians moving to the side for bicyclists. Sobel also introduced a design with the same concept, but had the bicyclists move to the outside of the path and pedestrians to the inside in an attempt to slow bicyclists down as they approached the intersection.

There was concern from committee members that this would force pedestrians and bicyclists to cross paths as they move from the natural flow of pedestrians on the sides and bicyclists in the center. Sobel noted that if the rest of the path is like that, it is something to consider for how the intersection is constructed. For the rest of the meeting, the committee stayed with the concept of bicyclists in the center and pedestrians on the outside.

Signals and detection at the intersection

Much of the discussion focused on the kind of signaling that would be used at the intersection. Sobel explained the differences between detection and signal control to the committee. Detection devices, such as video, thermal detectors and bike loops function similarly to the traditional pedestrian push button. When they are activated, they set off a sequence that, in this case, would stop vehicle traffic on Lake Street to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross safely.

Rachael Stark, the representative for Walk Arlington, noted that some pedestrians expect to press a button in order to be detected. Transportation Advisory Committee representative Jeff Maxtutis added that there should be a signal for bicyclists to know they have been detected. Sobel explained that could be added into the pedestrian crossing signals. The committee also discussed coordinating the Brooks Street traffic signals with the Lake Street signals during peak periods so cars do not have to stop at both intersections.

Complete Streets funding

East Arlington Livable Streets representative Alex Bilsky brought forward concerns regarding whether the intersection redesign fit within the scope of the Complete Street Program created by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The committee planned on seeking funding from this program. According to the MassDOT website, a Complete Street is "one that provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes - walking, biking, transit and vehicles – for people of all ages and abilities."

Chouinard said the intersection at Lake Street and the Minuteman Bikeway consists of "multi-modal" transportation and would therefore qualify. Maxtutis added that the focus of the project is not just to reduce traffic on Lake Street, but to increase safety for all forms of transportation.

The committee will hold a public forum on July 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium. Here, the committee will present an areal photo of the intersection with a potential design of the intersection. Members of the community will be able to comment on the design while it is still in the early stages.

