Brookline Transportation Board Needs Volunteers For New Committee

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline Transportation Board is seeking volunteers to serve on the Washington Street Complete Streets Design Review Committee (DRC).

Specifically, the Board is seeking to appoint a resident abutter who resides on Washington Street, south of Beacon Street, and a Commercial Merchant or employee of a Washington Street business in the Brookline Village commercial district.

These volunteers will be part of a nine to 10 member Design Review Committee that will be charged by the Transportation Board with working with town staff and a consulting team to develop a preferred concept design to be approved by the Transportation Board and sent to MassDOT for the pre-25% Design Public Meeting and Review.

The project limits are from Beacon Street to Station Street and will look to redesign Washington Street to meet the state and local guidelines and better accommodate pedestrian, bicycle, micro-mobility, and public transit users while ensuring emergency vehicle access and support the needs of merchants and residents.

Guiding documents include the Federal Highway’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, MassDOT’s Project Development & Design Guide and Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide, NACTO Urban Street Design Guide, Town’s Complete Streets Policy, and Warrant Article 31 from Fall 2019.

The DRC is expected to meet every four to six weeks for at least a year. These public meetings will involve design concepts on specific issues presented by staff and our consultants, Q&A by the DRC, Q&A by the general public, discussion, and decision on the issue of the meeting. They will all take place in the evening and will be via Zoom initially and may return to in person in the future.

Interested candidates should email Todd Kirrane at tkirrane@brooklinema.gov no later than Feb. 9 and provide answers to the following questions:

1. Location of residence/business
2. Why do you want to serve on the committee?
3. What in your background and experience makes you a good candidate for this type of committee?
4. What are your goals for the redesign of Washington Street?
5. Confirm that you will be able to attend the majority of night meetings held by the committee and periodic daytime site visits?

The Transportation Board is expected to appoint these two representatives at their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 16th. Whether a committee member or not, the public is strongly encouraged to participate in the public design review process.