Cathy Cordero crosses the new crosswalk on Humphrey Street, in Swampscott, with her bike. (Photo by Paula Muller)
By Gayla Cawley
SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott is poised to join nearby Lynn and Salem in adopting a complete streets policy aimed at making roadways safe for all forms of travel.
“The idea is making sure your roadways are usable for everybody,” said Peter Kane, director of community development.
A complete street provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes, including walking, biking, transit and vehicles, for people of all ages and abilities.
The town is asking for public feedback on its complete streets policy, available on its website, before the Board of Selectmen votes to adopt or deny the measure on Oct. 19.
The public comment period ends on Oct. 12. If approved, the policy will then have to be passed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
If the policy is approved by MassDOT, Swampscott will seek funding from the department to develop a prioritization plan. The funding pays for a consultant to help the town with its complete streets prioritization plan, which Kane said shouldn’t take more than three months to develop. The consultant will be chosen through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process.
Once the plan is completed, the town will solicit more grant funding from MassDOT to implement it. Implementation will include construction costs such as sidewalk improvements, handicap ramps, incorporating bike lanes and widening roads, Kane said.
Kane said the town has already implemented complete streets practices during the Humphrey Street redesign project, which included paving from the Lynn line to the Fish House. Before paving began, 47 handicap ramps were installed. The revamp also included putting in sidewalk extensions to help with pedestrian crossing and will continue with bicycle lanes and bike racks.
Sidewalk improvements and extensions were also completed by Stanley Elementary School.
Kane said the idea for complete streets was born out of the master plan. He said residents told officials during the planning process that the town needed to focus on better bicycle improvements. There are no bike lanes in town and very few bike racks, with none around the commercial corridor area. The Disability Commission then brought up the need for handicap accessibility for sidewalk crossing.
“By doing these improvements, we’re trying to encourage people to bike,” Kane said. “It may be able to minimize the amount of people driving by Humphrey Street.”
One of those bicyclists is Cathy Cordero who was riding on Humphrey Street Sunday afternoon. The Swampscott resident cycles three to four times a week, sometimes taking the bike path to Marblehead. On other occasions, she rides from Swampscott to Nahant, stopping at Dunkin Donuts for a bottle of water, before turning around. She runs into problems riding in Swampscott, dodging tree roots and cracks. But Cordero said Humphrey Street is the best area for biking in town.
“Most of the sidewalks in Swampscott aren’t rideable,” Cordero said.
As she headed to Mission on the Bay Sunday to meet a friend, Kimberlee Bowman of Swampscott, said Humphrey Street used to be a “free-for-all” and is still dangerous.
Bowman runs every morning and would like to see more stop signs installed. She has spotted fast drivers on residential streets where kids are present.
Lynn residents Richard and Maureen Murray walk their dog on Humphrey Street and Richard Murray said adopting a complete streets policy is worth trying. Maureen Murray added that motorists don’t stop for people at crosswalks and that she’s afraid to ride her bike from Lynn to Humphrey Street. She has to drive there instead.
“It’s not safe anywhere to cross the street,” Maureen Murray said. “They (the streets) are better in Swampscott than they are in Lynn.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.