Committee works to improve pedestrian, bicycle safety throughout Westford

WESTFORD — The Pedestrian Safety Committee is celebrating recent infrastructure improvements while continuing work on projects aimed at making walking and bicycling safer throughout town.

The committee advises the Select Board by identifying and evaluating options to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. Its work includes reviewing proposals for sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes, traffic-calming measures and educational initiatives, while considering project costs and potential funding sources.

Committee Chair Tom Hinkle said one of the group’s most significant recent accomplishments is the completion of the Plain Road sidewalk project.

“This Spring, we celebrate the completion of the Plain Rd. Sidewalk project,” Hinkle said, “In the time I’ve been on the committee, I’ve seen us complete a sidewalk which now connects all the way from Oak Hill and Route 40 to East Boston Camps. That’s a major achievement, and it is one of the most used sidewalk networks in town.”

Construction is also underway on intersection improvements at West Street, a project intended to improve safety for students walking to Blanchard Middle School and other pedestrians. Additional recent improvements include an upgraded pedestrian crossing at Jack Frost Fields and a new sidewalk along Carlisle Road south of Route 110.

The committee has also begun reviewing preliminary designs for a sidewalk that would connect existing sidewalks near Westford Academy to Forge Village, creating another continuous pedestrian corridor.

According to Hinkle, one of the committee’s biggest challenges is balancing strong public demand for pedestrian improvements with the lengthy and costly process required to complete projects.

“Many people understandably assume that adding a sidewalk to a road or striping a new crosswalk would be relatively straightforward,” Hinkle said. “But the steps involved, like obtaining design funding, reviewing designs, securing construction funds, and ultimately completing construction, are more involved than most people realize.”

The committee typically meets once a month, with all meetings open to the public. Meetings are generally held at Town Hall, though some are hosted near project sites to encourage community participation.

The committee is chaired by Hinkle and includes Select Board liaison Chris Barrett, Planning Board member Joan Croteau, members Don Galya, Raymond Hickey and Jason Sobel, and student member Michael Lengyel. The committee currently has vacancies for one full member and one alternate member.