Does Cambridge have liability if someone were hit and killed on lower
Trapelo or Old County Road? Does LIncoln have any responsibility?

On Thu, Sep 19, 2024 at 3:37 PM Bob Kupperstein <[email protected]> wrote:

> I wonder if the Cambridge water department might be more receptive if the
> proposal was for an 'unpaved' path?
>
> -Bob
>
> On Thursday, September 19, 2024, Sara Mattes <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Agree with all your points, but this is not simply the City of Cambridge,
>> it is the city Water Department, and part of  the Cambridge Watershed.
>> So, there is no such thing as the ability to do a taking/eminent domain.
>> In addition, the town has repeatedly declined to do so on private
>> property throughout town.
>>
>> Back in the early 2000s, and the early days of the RTC, we did a
>> town-wide roadway plan for roadway improvements.
>> Then, we were in regular dialog with Cambridge.
>> They were helpful in that they agreed to clear out understory brush on
>> the corner so as to improve sightline at the stop sign on the south side of
>> Old County…but that was about it.
>> Ken Bassett was the liaison from the RTC to Cambridge.
>>
>> But that was then…..
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 19, 2024, at 1:29 PM, Tim Mangini <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Thank you for that background, Bob. Very helpful. A couple points in
>> response.
>>
>>
>>    - When was the last time Lincoln reached out to the City of Cambridge?
>>    - My naivete I am sure, but does the town not have some sort of
>>    eminent domain rights to put in a sidewalk?
>>    - I think it is entirely possible that individuals from Old County
>>    Road and Trapelo Road did not attend a meeting on this subject, however I
>>    and other concerned neighbors in the area weighed in on the BPAC master
>>    plan as it was being created via what I remember as being an on-line
>>    process.
>>    - Also, this seems to me to be much more than a neighborhood issue
>>    and more of a safety issue. Much like a crosswalk at Route 2, which you
>>    wouldn’t expect to be primarily a neighborhood driven issue.
>>    - That particular stretch of Trapelo road is traversed by bike and on
>>    foot by a huge number of residents and non-residents who do not live
>>    immediately nearby.
>>    - It is primarily a safety issue.
>>       - It is heavily trafficked
>>       - There can be no safe place to walk or ride a bike for 2-3 months
>>       of the year due to snow banks meaning they are sharing the roadway with
>>       fast-moving traffic.
>>       - In the winter the morning sun comes directly into the Boston
>>       bound driver’s eyes
>>
>>
>> tim
>> -----
>>
>>
>> *From: *Bob Wolf <[email protected]>
>> *Date: *Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 3:06 PM
>> *To: *Collette Sizer <[email protected]>
>> *Cc: *Tim Mangini <[email protected]>, Listserv Listserv <
>> [email protected]>
>> *Subject: *Re: [LincolnTalk] Roadway plan
>> Tim, Collette
>> To clarify and confirm a few points.
>>
>>    - There have been multiple efforts over the years to extend the
>>    Trapelo roadside path to Old County Road.  Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
>>    Committee recognized the points you have made early, and an extension of
>>    the path was included in its master plan.  Any extension, however, would
>>    cross land owned by Cambridge as reservoir buffer and require their
>>    agreement and easement, things they’ve been unwilling to grant.  The 5 
>> year
>>    plan is a statement of what the town believes *we are able to address*,
>>    and the roadside path extension is not possible at this time. The plan 
>> will
>>    be reviewed and extended annually, however.  We can hope circumstances
>>    change and the extension can be added in the future.
>>    - BPAC did not hear from the Old County Road neighborhood during our
>>    work on the master plan, but we intend it to be a “living document” and to
>>    be edited in light of new findings.  We would be happy to hear from Old
>>    County Road neighbors during the public comment period at one of our
>>    meetings.  Our next one is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 9/26.
>>    Agenda will likely be out Tuesday.  Future meetings will be posted in the
>>    town calendar.
>>
>>
>> I wish the news on the Trapelo roadside path extension were better.
>>
>> Take care,
>>
>> Bob Wolf
>> BPAC member
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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