Andover’s Annual Town Meeting begins on May 1 and will continue on subsequent nights until all 41 articles on the 2023 warrant have been addressed. Andover News will publish explainers on key articles between now and the end of April, and publish a Town Meeting Cheat Sheet for those who plan to attend during the last week of April. Additional Town Meeting resources and information are at the bottom of this article.
Articles in this series will be free for non-subscribers to read.
Every time you jump into an Uber, Lyft or start a ride from another transportation networking company in Andover, you’re charged 20 cents, which gets split 50-50 between the Town at the Commonwealth. Andover gets about $8,000 a year from the surcharge and, so far, has not spent any of the money collected.
Article 27 asks Town Meeting to use $40,000 of that money to create an “Active Transportation Plan” for Andover. While submitted by Paul Materazzo, several groups, including Walk Bike Andover, are supporting the proposal.
Active transportation is any non-motorized means of travel, with walking and biking being the two most common. In short, Andover’s ATP would look to find ways to allow residents to be less car dependent, with a particular emphasis on finding ways to encourage people to walk or bike for shorter trips.
In an email to Andover News last week, WalkBikeAndover said the ATP would achieve its goals by:
- Develop a long-term plan to encourage walking and biking, particularly for shorter trips.
- Augment the Town’s work to develop Complete Street Prioritization Plan and expand equitable access to destinations, sustainability, economic development, community development, and public health.
- Create a pathway to pursue MassDOT’s Complete Streets funding.
- Provide policies and guidelines for facilities that will make walking and biking safer, more comfortable.
- Adopt published design standards that suit the needs of Andover’s transportation network and public spaces.
- Describe current conditions and opportunities to improve the safety and comfort of Andover’s streets for all users.
- Identify major corridors
- Structure an action plan to create a network of bike and pedestrian pathways.
The full text of Walk Bike Andover’s email is underneat the Town Meeting Resources section at the bottom of this post.
The Andover Select Board, Planning Board, Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and Green Advisory Board are recommending approval of Article 27.
Stock photo.
Town Meeting Resources
Previous articles in this series:
Useful Websites and Documents
- Annual Town Meeting info on Town of Andover Website
- 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant
- Information on Andover Moderator Sheila M. Doherty
- Town Meeting FAQs
Full text of Walk Bike Andover’s email to Andover News
Thanks for the opportunity to share this!
Article 27 asks for approval to use Transportation Network Company fees to fund the development of an Active Transportation Plan.
What are Transportation Network Company Fees?
By state law, for every ride-sharing (Uber, Lyft, etc) and taxi ride, the operating company pays a 20-cent fee that gets split between the originating town or city, and the state. For Andover, this amounts to about $8000 per year. Currently, the money collected via these fees is unused. Article 27 requests $40,000 from this pool of money to fund the creation of an Active Transportation Plan for the town.
What is an Active Transportation Plan?
“Active Transportation” refers to walking, bicycling, rolling, or any other non-motorized means of travel.
The Active Transportation Plan recognizes the impact that cars have had on our community and environment. It seeks to remedy the implications of living in a car-dependent community by offering a strategic plan for making walking and biking competitive alternatives to driving.
The goals of the Active Transportation Plan are to:
- Make our transportation system accessible to people of diverse lifestyles and socio-economic statuses
- Reduce short trips taken by car and encourage walking and biking distances within 15 minutes of destinations.
- Boost our business districts by reducing our dependence on parking spaces, increasing foot traffic, and creating spaces for people.
- Build social infrastructure through increased personal interactions of people walking and biking in our streets.
- Encourage healthy lifestyles by providing public spaces safe for active transportation and recreation.
The Active Transportation Plan aims to achieve these goals through the following actions:
- Develop a long-term vision to enhance pedestrian/bicycling movement throughout town.
- Augment the Town’s work in developing a Complete Street Prioritization Plan, while investigating opportunities to expand equitable access to destinations, sustainability, economic development, community development, and public health.
- Create a pathway to pursue MassDOT’s Complete Streets funding.
- Provide policies and guidelines for facilities that will make walking/biking safer, more comfortable, and a competitive alternative to driving short distances.
- Adopt published design standards that suit the needs of Andover’s transportation network and public spaces.
- Describe current conditions and opportunities to improve the safety and comfort of Andover’s streets for all users.
- Identify major corridors
- Structure an action plan to create a network of bike and pedestrian pathways that connect people to destinations within and beyond town boundaries.
The Select Board, Planning Board, Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and Green Advisory Board have all voted to recommend approval of Article 27.
[excerpts are taken from the Planning Department’s CIP funding request: http://www.andoverma.gov/FY2024CIP]