Attached is the handout from the Mass Highway Public Review last week
for Phase II of the project designed 20 years ago to pump more cars in
and out of the Sun Micro Sys campus and Crosby Dr business areas.
It has a map showing the new 'Mitre Extension' that will connect
Network Dr and Middlesex Trnpk across the Mitre softball fields, and
has a 'comments form' that can be filled out and mailed in. The plan
calls for four 11.5 travel lanes leaving 3.5 shoulders to accommodate
bicycle traffic. We are asking users of this corridor to request that
travel lanes be reduced to 11' and the extra foot each side be
allocated to the shoulder.
Through the efforts the Bedford Bike Comm., the 11 foot travel lane is
now the default width for all new repaving or restriping projects in
Bedford but Mass Highway determines the design for new projects such
as this. Although you may not plan to use the new Mitre Extension, we
encourage any one who commutes or bikes through this area to support
the 11 foot travel lane. It will help us in our efforts to restripe
that entire area with wider shoulders. Rt 62 is the sole direct
connection between Bedford and Burlington and the Phase I 'traffic
improvement' project there has made it impossible to cycle through
there safely at commute times.
To see examples of the current narrow shoulders dangerously close to
guardrails and storm drains, visit:
http://picasaweb.google.com/BedfordBike/Rt62CrosbyDrNetworkDr?feat=directlink
The Bedford Bike Comm and Mass Bike all plan to write letters
supporting the 11' travel lane. Because of the wetlands in the area,
Mass Highway believes the total footprint of the project including
sidewalks, turn lanes, shoulders, travel lanes, etc. is pretty much
fixed so we are recommending reallocating the space both to calm the
traffic and to increase the cyclists' safety.
The letters need to be postmarked this week to meet the deadline. Feel
free to pass the info on to others who support safer biking. If you
send a letter, I would appreciate an email so that our committee has a
sense of how many people contacted Mass Highway.
Thanks,
Terry
moc.liamg|emohnosaelgyrret#moc.liamg|emohnosaelgyrret
