Town Of Arlington: Town Advances Safe Routes To School Project For Stratton Area

Press release from Town of Arlington:

11/12/2021 10:00 AM

The Town of Arlington is seeking resident feedback on elements of the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Project for the Stratton Elementary area. Residents are invited to view the project information page developed by MassDOT for this project and respond to a survey and submit comments by Friday, November 19. People may register their email with MassDOT to view the project page and receive email updated on this project from MassDOT, or they may view the page anonymously. A survey and comment form are at the bottom of the project page. This is a follow up to the public meeting held on Wednesday, November 10 where Town staff and staff from the Pare Corporation shared information and gathered feedback about this project.

In 2019 the Town received a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Infrastructure Project Award to fund new sidewalks, sidewalk repairs, and safe roadway crossings near the Stratton Elementary School. The updated project scope includes a fully accessible walking route for children and others walking in the Stratton School area along Hemlock Street between Brattle Street and Dickson Avenue, along Dickson Avenue between Hemlock Street and Mountain Avenue, and along Mountain Avenue to Wheeler Lane as shown in figure 1 and in the Project FAQ. The revised estimated project cost is $1,072,752.

Design and construction of this project is funded by MassDOT, with construction funding available for Federal Fiscal Year 2024. The Town is working with MassDOT’s design consultant, Pare Corporation, as it develops the project through various stages of design prepare for construction. The public meeting will be an opportunity for the community to hear about the project’s progress since the award was announced and provide. Pare Corporation is seeking guidance on issues around tree impacts; on-street parking impacts; sidewalk accessibility; project scope and length; and location of pedestrian crossings.

Overall, the goals of the Stratton School SRTS project are to

• Remove accessibility barriers by installing ADA-compliant curb ramps and repairing deficient sidewalks;
• Install new sidewalks to provide a safe and accessible walking path to and around the Stratton school;
• Narrow roadway intersections to slow vehicles and reduce pedestrian crossing distances;
• Provide safe pedestrian crossings at intersections where needed; and
• Install appropriate signage through the project corridor.

This project also supports the strategies outlined in the Town’s Sustainable Transportation Plan, Connect Arlington, in particular Strategy A.8, “Continue to implement initiatives that enhance safety to and from schools and community facilities including Safe Routes to Schools projects and programs and Arlington’s ADA Transition Plan infrastructure improvements,” and Strategy B.2, “Continue to develop and implement Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects.”

Project Background

This project was identified as a high need by community members and school officials which led the Town to apply for the MassDOT grant. Between 50%-60% of school users walk to and from Stratton School, making walking safety a high priority for parents, Town and school staff, and elected officials. The neighborhood’s steep topography, curving roadways, and roadside impediments are a challenge to pedestrian visibility. The steep slope on Hemlock between Yerxa Road and Dickson Avenue makes crossing hazardous for pedestrians, and the lack of sidewalks on some stretches of Hemlock Street and Dickson Avenue compromise the safety of children and others.

The Massachusetts SRTS Program is a federally funded initiative of MassDOT. MassDOT funding for the SRTS program includes $15 million of Transportation Alternatives Program funds set aside for SRTS projects in the State Transportation Improvement Program spread across federal fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. 

For more information, contact Daniel Amstutz, Senior Transportation Planner, at 781-316-3093 or damstutz@town.arlington.ma.us.

This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.