Transportation Committee (TC) Minutes of 12-12-24

Next meeting:  January 9, 2025, 8:30 am, HHI Conference Room

Present: Mary Day Mordecai (chair), Russ Cobb, Earl Horn, Ned Hulbert, Roxanne Karter, Steve LaMears (Police Chief), Don Scott, Ryan Whitworth (by Zoom)  Absent:  John Knight, Kully Mindemann, Kate Neary

  1. Update from TC meeting (Mary Day and Kully) with SB (Select Board)
    • SB approved John Knight as a TC member
    • SB approved TC job description review and an update to Complete Streets Resolution
    • Boat Ramp Sign will be installed on Prospect St. in the spring (Steve has touched base with Wes on sign).
  2. TC decision with SB about traffic/parking study of Church St/General Store area
    • Further work on traffic/parking flow on Church Street is needed to develop an optimal solution (Steve noted the driving/parking area of the General Store and PO is very congested and the source of many complaints from pedestrians)
    • SB has asked TC to do a traffic/parking flow study of the Church St/General Store area (includes Community Center that will open by 2025). TC is willing to manage process of a study involving key players on both sides of Main St. We need a downtown comprehensive solution that all players can support.
    • TC will wait for John Knight to attend our next TC meeting so that TC can further explore the possibilities on this issue and its response to SB, which must include HHI.

 

3.  Mirror on Main Street

    • HDC does not need to approve the installation of a mirror (according to Rex Baker of HDC).
    • The SB decided not to decide on whether to purchase a mirror to install on Main St. at the exit from the General Store until the issue of traffic flow on Church St. is resolved.

 

4.  SurveyMonkey regarding changes to Hancock Road around Lake Skatutakee

    • The SurveyMonkey specifically for the Lake Skatutakee association was distributed a few weeks ago; 42 people responded to survey.
    • SurveyMonkey is now available to all of town residents on town website; a recent article in Common Threads requested that residents take the survey. Survey closing date will be in early January, so SWRPC can give TC its analysis of survey data before TC January meeting.
    • TC Feedback: Brush cutting need to be done in spring and more thoroughly.

5.  Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) of SWRC

    • Mary Day will step in as the Harrisville representative on the TAC. Earl will back her up when she is unable to attend meetings.

6.  Radar updates

    • Earl has completed the radar report training with Ryan. Russ will request training from Earl when both are free.
    • Preparing the regular SB radar data report from TC: Earl has done a formal draft report. Earl, Ryan, Russ will make a proposal to TC at the next meeting.  TC will discuss report format, i.e., what data we want to collect, how often and with whom TC shares it.

7.  TC presentation on Recycling Center traffic flow

    • Kully presented and had discussion with SB on TC’s initial input on Recycling Center.
    • Recycling Center Committee has disbanded. TC has been asked to work with Ben, Steve, Wes and other Town key players on parking, pedestrian and traffic flow issues.
    • Next steps: TC is on hold until larger plan for Recycling Center is resolved. Long-term goals for TC

8.  Don shared various maps of Main St, downtown and surrounding area. He will email pdf copies of the maps to TC members.

    • TC studied downtown maps and discussed possibilities to increase parking.
    • TC will continue its discussion of parking, traffic flow and pedestrian safety at its next meeting.