09-05-14 Mass Highway Informational Meeting

8/9/2019 09-05-14 Mass Highway Informational Meeting

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DESIGN PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

MAY 14, 2009

AT

WATERTOWN TOWN HALL

THE LOWER HEARING ROOM ON THE 1ST

FLOOR

WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS

7:00 PM

FOR THE PROPOSED

INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AT THREE LOCATIONS:

SPRING ST. AT SUMMER ST.; MOUNT AUBURN ST. AT SUMMER ST.;

ARLINGTON ST. AT NICHOLS AVE., COOLIDGE HILL RD., AND CRAWFORD ST.

Project File No. 602053

IN THE TOWN OF WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

LUISA PAIEWONSKY

COMMISSIONER

FRANK A. TRAMONTOZZI, P.E.

CHIEF ENGINEER


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THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

A Public Informational Meeting will be held by MassHighway to discuss the proposed Traffic SafetyImprovement Project for Three Locations in Watertown, MA that includes: Mount Auburn Street at SummerStreet; Spring Street at Summer Street; and Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road andCrawford Street.

WHERE: Watertown Town Hall149 Main StreetWatertown, MA 02472

WHEN: Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 7:00PM

PURPOSE: The purpose of this informational meeting is to update the public on the status of the proposedSafety Improvement project and to provide the public with another opportunity to becomreacquainted with the project. All views and comments made at the informational meeting wilbe reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.

PROPOSAL: The proposed traffic improvements include the installation of a fully actuated traffic signasystem at the Mount Auburn Street / Summer Street intersection and the Arlington Street /Nichols Avenue / Coolidge Hill Road / Crawford Street intersection. Geometric improvementare proposed at the Spring Street / Summer Street intersection. Roadway improvements includethe reconstruction of the existing sidewalks with new granite curbing and the installation ofwheelchair ramps. Roadway realignment is proposed along the following approaches: SpringStreet, Crawford Street, Nichols Avenue and Arlington Street. Full depth roadway reconstructionis proposed along a segment of Summer Street. Roadway cold planning/resurfacing will beprovided throughout the remaining project limits.

A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Temporary easements or rights of entries may be requiredMassHighway is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassHighway's policyconcerning land acquisitions will be discussed at this informational meeting.

Written views received by MassHighway subsequent to the date of this notice and up to five (5) days prior tothe date of the informational meeting shall be displayed for public inspection and copying at the time and datelisted above. Plans will be on display one-half hour before the informational meeting begins, with an engineerin attendance to answer questions regarding this project. A project handout is available on the MassHighwaywebsite listed below.

Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the PublicInformational Meeting regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Frank A. Tramontozzi, P.E.,Chief Engineer, Massachusetts Highway Department, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116. Such submissionswill also be accepted at the informational meeting. The final date of receipt of these statements and exhibits forconsideration will be ten (10) days after this Public Informational Meeting.

The community has declared that this facility is accessible to all in compliance with the ADA / Title IIHowever, persons in need of ADA / Title II accommodations should contact Angela Rudikoff by phone at (617)973-7005, or email [email protected]. Requests must be made at least 10 days prior to the date ofthe public informational meeting.

In case of inclement weather, informational meeting cancellation announcements will be posted on theMassHighway website http://www.mass.gov/mhd .

LUISA PAIEWONSKY FRANK A. TRAMONTOZZI, P.E.COMMISSIONER CHIEF ENGINEER

Boston, Massachusetts


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WHAT IS A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING?

WHY A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING?

To provide an assured method whereby the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can furnish

to the public information concerning the States highway construction proposals, and to affordevery interested resident of the area an opportunity to be heard on any proposed project. At thesame time, the informational meetings afford the Commonwealth an additional opportunity toreceive information from local sources which would be of value to the State in making its finaldecisions to what design should be advanced for development.

WHY NOT A VOTE ON HIGHWAY PLANS?

The informational meetings are not intended to be a popular referendum for the purposeof determining the nature of a proposed improvement by a majority of those present. They do notrelieve the duly constituted officials of a State highway department of the necessity for making

decisions in State highway matters for which they are charged with full responsibility.

WHAT DOES A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING ACCOMPLISH?

It is designed to ensure the opportunity for, or the availability of, a forum to providefactual information which is pertinent to the determination of the final alternative considered bythe State to best serve the public interest, and on which improvement projects are proposed to beundertaken.

It is important that the people of the area express their views in regard to the proposal being presented, so that views can be properly recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Theseminutes will be carefully studied and taken into consideration in the determination of the finaldesign.


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RIGHT OF WAY ISSUES

A secure right of way is necessary for this project. Temporary easements may be required. Yourmunicipality is responsible for acquiring all necessary rights in private or public lands. If your property is affected, your rights are fully protected under law. Briefly, here are some of the

answers to questions you might ask.

1. REASON FOR PROJECT?The completion of this project will serve local needs. The proposed enhancementwill also be in the interest of others in the greater community, and provide for thepublic good.

2. WHO CONTACTS ME?Representatives of the municipality have already contacted or will contact you.

They will explain the procedures used in acquiring any necessary rights in land.

3. WHAT ABOUT DONATIONS? WHAT IS A RIGHT OF ENTRY?Town officials will often seek donations, of parcels, where permanent rights arerequired. This procedure will minimize the acquisition cost for your community.

A Right of Entry is a document that is signed by the owner. It allows theContractor to perform certain types of work on the owners land. The work isusually minor in nature and frequently consists of loaming/seeding behindsidewalks, new driveway apron work, grading/sloping, and wetland protection,etc. The rights granted are temporary in nature.

4. WHAT IS A FAIR PRICE FOR THE ACQUIRED PARCELS?In the event that donations are not considered, or completed, every effort will bemade to ensure that an equitable value is awarded. Municipal and/or outsideappraisers will complete an appraisal. Consideration is given to the type of rightsneeded, whether in fee, permanent or temporary easements. The appraisal will bethe basis for arriving at a fair price (for damages that result).

5. MUST I ACCEPT THE MUNICIPALITY OFFER?No, if the owner feels that the offer is not fair the owner may petition the courts.This action does not stop or delay the acquisition. The action must occur within 3years. The owner(s) may be paid pro tanto (for the time being). The pro tantopayment will not prejudice the courts final decision.


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LOCUS MAP


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Purpose of the Proposed Project

The purpose of the proposed project is to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety and increasecapacity to handle future traffic volumes through reconstruction of intersections, includingsidewalks and geometric improvements at the following three locations: Mount Auburn Street at

Summer Street; Summer Street at Spring Street; and Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue,Coolidge Hill Road, and Crawford Street. Traffic signal installations are proposed at MountAuburn Street at Summer Street and at Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road,and Crawford Street.

Project Locations and Limits

Project limits along Mount Auburn Street extend approximately 160 feet on either side of theSummer Street intersection. Project limits along Spring Street extend approximately 120 feet oneither side of the Summer Street intersection. Summer Street reconstruction will extend from itsintersection with Mount Auburn Street to approximately 230 feet beyond Spring Street, a total

distance of approximately 620 feet. At the Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge HillRoad, and Crawford Street intersection, the northern project limits along Arlington Street extendapproximately 210 feet beyond Nichols Avenue and the southern project limits along ArlingtonStreet extend approximately 220 feet beyond Coolidge Hill Road. The construction limit along Nichols Avenue extends westerly approximately 180 feet, along Coolidge Hill Road extendseasterly approximately 30 feet, and along Crawford Street extends northeasterly approximately150 feet from the intersection.

Existing Deficiencies

Mount Auburn Street at Summer Street is currently an unsignalized intersection. Mount AuburnStreet, also known as Route 16, is a heavily traveled urban arterial carrying approximately24,000 vehicles per day (vpd). At its intersection with Summer Street, Mount Auburn Street is atwo-way roadway with two lanes in the southbound direction and a single lane in the northbounddirection. Summer Street is a two-lane, two-way roadway carrying approximately 7,700 vpd. Ahigh rate of accidents has been reported. The Summer Street approach experiences significantdelays.

Summer Street at Spring Street is currently an unsignalized intersection with both Spring Streetapproaches under stop-sign control. The northern leg of Spring Street is a two-way roadway. Thesouthern Spring Street leg has been converted to one-way approaching the intersection. SpringStreet carries approximately 4,100 vpd. A high rate of accidents has been also reported at thelocation.

All legs of the Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road, and Crawford Streetintersection are two-way two-lane roadways. Flashing yellow signals are provided for theArlington Street approaches. The Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road and Crawford Streetapproaches are stop sign controlled with flashing red signals. Traffic volumes along ArlingtonStreet are approximately 13,600 vpd and along Nichols Avenue is approximately 5,600 vpd. Theside street approaches experience significant delays.


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Proposed Improvements

At the Mount Auburn Street at Summer Street intersection, the proposed improvements includeinstallation of traffic and pedestrian signals. At the Summer Street at Spring Street intersection,

geometric improvements are proposed. At the Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge HillRoad, and Crawford Street intersection, the proposed improvements include installation of trafficand pedestrian signals. Exclusive left turn lanes are proposed along the Arlington Streetapproaches and an exclusive right turn lane is proposed along the Nichols Avenue approach.Crawford Street is proposed to become a one-way roadway at this intersection.

In an effort to improve pedestrian safety, sidewalk improvements are proposed for this project inaccordance with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Access Board(AAB), MassHighway and the Town standards. The improvements include reconstructingsidewalks and wheelchair ramps within the project limits in accordance with the currentADA/AAB standards. Crosswalks will be provided across the approaches of the Summer Street

at Spring Street intersection and the Arlington Street at Nichols Avenue, Coolidge Hill Road, andCrawford Street intersection. Crosswalks are also proposed at the Summer Street approach toMount Auburn Street and the southern Mount Auburn Street approach to Summer Street.

Land Acquisition (Right of Way Impacts)

Preliminary Right of Way Plans have been prepared. No permanent land acquisitions arerequired to construct the proposed improvements. Rights of entries are necessary for grading atsome driveways, walkways, and landscaped areas.

Maintenance of Traffic

During construction, roadways in the project area will remain open to traffic. Occasional trafficdisruptions may occur. However, one-way lane closures will be only allowed during non-peakhours in order to limit inconvenience to the public and reduce potential delay. Access to abuttingproperties will be maintained during construction.

Project Status and Schedules

The plans on display are from the 100% Submission to MassHighway. Comments received thisevening will be reviewed and may be used to amend the plans in proceeding towards thesubmission of final plans, specifications, and estimates to be used for construction. Constructionis expected to be advertised this summer. Once started, the construction is expected to take about2 to 2.5 years to complete.

Project Cost

The estimated cost of construction is about $1.5 million utilizing a combination of Federal andState funds.


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THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSHIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Town of Watertown, MA.

Intersection Improvements at Three LocationsProject File No. 602053

This sheet is provided for your comments. Your input is solicited and appreciated.Please return your sheet, with comments, to a staff member at the meeting, or mail to:

Frank A. Tramontozzi, P.E., Chief Engineer

Massachusetts Highway Department10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116-3973

The final date for receipt of written statements and exhibits will be ten (10) days after the PublicInformational Meeting.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name _________________________________ Title ____________________________Organization __________________________________________________________________Address __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


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Please Fold and Staple

________________________

________________________

________________________

Frank A. Tramontozzi, P.E.Chief EngineerMassachusetts Highway Department10 Park PlazaBoston, MA 02116-3973

RE: Public Informational Meeting

Intersection Improvements at Three Locations, Watertown, MAProject File No. 602053

Please PlaceAppropriatePostage Here

Documents

09-05-14 Mass Highway Informational Meeting