To the editor:
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer was quoted in the newspaper as saying that the narrow roads in Marblehead’s historic district cannot “facilitate bicycle travel” because of the “high volume of cars.” His argument, made in favor of ignoring the town’s now three-year-old Complete Streets Policy, is wrongheaded on many levels.
First, the narrow streets of Old Town already facilitate bicycle travel by virtue of the very thing that so confounds Mr. Kezer: narrowness. On such narrow streets, drivers would be hard pressed to exceed 15 or 20 miles per hour. In fact, for example, the speed limit on South Street is 15 miles per hour and through the business district of Atlantic Avenue (CVS, Ace Hardware, West Marine, etc.) the speed limit is 20 miles per hour. There is no need for changes to “facilitate bicycle travel.”
Second, only a tiny amount of Marblehead travel happens in Old Town. Most of it takes place in the large Clifton neighborhood where streets were built wide and straight. There is plenty of room for bike facilities and accommodations for all road users as envisioned by the Complete Streets Policy.
Mr. Kezer’s misunderstanding of Complete Streets is troubling, not only because he has made himself chairman of the Complete Streets Committee, but also because his department heads are incentivized to follow his lead. Why would the town engineer, the town planner, or the head of the Highway Department — why would any worker — want to contradict their boss?
Sincerely,
Dan Albert
Marblehead