A pilot project aimed at making Lincoln Street safer for cyclists and pedestrians is drawing fire from area residents who say they were not given a chance to offer input.
Those residents say converting the popular pass-through between Route 133 and Shawsheen Road into a one-way street is already causing traffic backups — backups which will only get worse when West Middle and Andover High Schools welcome back students on Wednesday.
The program started Aug. 19 under Andover’s Complete Streets program and runs through Sept. 22. Under the program, Lincoln Street was converted to one-way heading southbound and a bike lane was marked off with orange road markers.
If the Town deems the pilot a success, the changes would be made permanent.
“It is obvious that the town management have their hearts and minds set on this proposal – and have primarily ignored input and concerns from residents,” said Cindy Pitera, who lives on Cyr Circle off of Lincoln.
With its proximity to two schools, Lincoln Street was one of the streets in Andover identified as being a good candidate for traffic-calming measures under the Town’s new Complete Streets program. The program allows Andover to tap into hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to make permanent upgrades.
Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said the only way to widen the sidewalk is to make the street one way. He said the project was discussed during public meetings during the spring.
“The community will have five weeks to tell us their experiences, good or bad, about a shared-use path that accommodates all modes of travel. That will help determine the next steps,” Flanagan said. “We encourage residents to continue to provide input throughout this phase of the process.”
The Town has a survey on its Website to collect feedback on the pilot program. But the survey only asks questions about the shared path and sidewalk, not the changes that make Lincoln a one-way street. That is the change opponents are most concerned with.
Some opponents of the Lincoln Street work say they have been portrayed as not caring about safety.
“The proponents continually respond to any objections to the project with comments that the opponents don’t care about kids, pedestrians or bicyclists,” Cyr Circle resident Amy Germaine said. “This emotional tactic is frustrating and disappointing. It’s also not true.”