Subject: Pathways Meeting Minutes from July 31st

Present: Ginny Lovett, Liz Lapham, Dave Sias, Mark Donohoe, Angela LaBrecque, Pam Coburn

We reviewed the Swasey Park cleanup. We still need to write up the wording for the new signs in order to present the sign requests formally to the town. Instead of removing the Beehive sign, we want to update the sign with a brief history explaining the name. We identified a couple of trails by name--Waukewan Canal Trail and Turtle Rock Trail.

Liz and Mark summarized our meeting with Phil McCormack, superintendent of schools. Mark, Ginny and Liz met with him to make him aware of the SRTS initiative. He was familiar with it. He pointed out that where SRTS has worked really well is where neighborhoods exist close to the school, where students walking to school are primarily walking through neighborhoods. Next to the safety issue, he also pointed out the question of how to coordinate a fleet of buses with some students walking to school, weather, tradition, etc..
Convincing families to get their kids to walk to school is as much of an education issue as logistical.

We talked about the need to consolidate the maps that outline routes to school--snowmobile trails, informal paths through the woods by the school, easements, etc.

Mark summarized the Transportation committee meeting he attended.
There are several public meetings
planned in early August: 8-16 9-1, 8-19 1-4pm and 6-9pm. The DOT and PAC committee will be presenting the results of their research into potential traffic improvement plans for the 3/25 corridor. The goal is to educate the public on progress so far as well as solicit input and feedback on these plans. Initial part of the meeting will be formal presentation, followed by gathering feedback from those who show up from the public. This may be as formal as written surveys or as informal as conversations.

Ginny felt it would be valuable for the committee to write a letter to the selectmen outlining our charter and progress toward that charter. She started a one page discussion of what we've done so far. We need to formalize this into a letter that can be sent to the selectmen.

Next meeting will be August 28th at 3:30.