THOUGHTS ON NEWBURY STREET

The council has had one lengthy discussion on the Newbury Street project, which was not overwhelmingly embraced by the neighborhood. We also held a neighborhood meeting late last year, and, yes, I, along with the Council members who attended, did hear the issues and concerns. There has been another request to bring the issue back to the Council for discussion. The main issues are:
* The width of sidewalks, which have been increased from four to five feet. Part of this is to comply with the Americans With Disability Act, according to city staff
* The loss of trees, which is going to occur with the widening of the sidewalk and the overall disruptions caused by the project
* The grade of the street, which have led to retaining walls for some residents and some unpleasant driveway grades

I am NOT an engineer, first of all, but I do hear the residents' concerns. We have done one-half of the project, with the bids set to be sent out in late February for Phase Two. It is my responsibility and my call as to whether we discuss this issue one more time before moving forward. At this time, I am considering a somewhat radical approach to the entire issue, along with another public works project:
* Delay the second phase until 2010. One issue which will determine the width of the street is the future of the Medical Center. We expect RMC to move to a new location in the Business Park, and this would allow us to narrow the size of the street due to less traffic. Studies show that narrower streets lead to lower speeds, which, of course, translates to better vehicular and pedestrian safety. If we can narrow the street, we may be able to save more trees in the long run
* Combine the second phase with an entire reconstruction of Ransom Street from Griswold north to the college. That project is set to run from 2010-2012. I simply have a hard time with putting those residents through three years of construction, especially those in the middle, who will be most inconvenienced.
* We pay off another year of existing debt before we add another borrowing to pay for the project.

I have asked the city staff to analyze this proposal, and bring me the pros and cons before making a final decision. Stay tuned, and, if you have some thoughts, please share them with me.