Pittsfield Traffic Commission OKs Bus, Street Signage
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Traffic Commission OK'd additional bus stops and multiple items in the former General Electric neighborhood at its first meeting of the year.
The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority came to the panel last week with a second round of requests for bus stop signs as a part of larger operational changes. A couple of stops will be on Center Street and there will be regular stops on Tyler and Seymour Streets.
"This is the 50th year as a transit authority. We're kind of doing a two-fold thing. Since 1974, it's been primarily a flag service where you just stand and hail a bus like a cab. For numerous reasons it's very problematic," general manager Rauley Caine said.
"So the authority a few years ago decided to start implementing bus stops in town. This is the second round of requests we have. It's probably one of many more to come."
He explained that the standard stop spacing is about 1,000 feet or five in each direction per mile, but the BRTA would like to keep it between 800 and 1,000 feet.
"This is our, I think, third year doing this and we've had no negative feedback," he said.
"All the locations, the way the process works is we first identify where we want bus stops then I take a lawn sign that says, 'This is a proposed stop. Questions, comments, that's my email.' As part of our public engagement process, we also advertise locations for 30 days in the paper for comment. We receive frankly, almost no comments every time, and anything that we do receive negative we just move it around."
Eventually, it will be up to the city to decide if the BRTA does not respond to bus hailing but the intention is to have bus stops and at some point have a transition process to just using them, Caine explained, but in the changeover, there would still be flag service.
Commission members expressed concern for elderly people who may not be able to commute to the stop and it was clarified that the bus will not be driving past them in that case.
The panel also supported 25 mph speed limit signs on California Avenue. City Engineer Tyler Shedd explained that the city adopted a 25 mph limit for thickly settled areas and proposed putting the signs at each end of the street.
Chair Mark Brennan was not surprised that people are concerned about speeding, adding, "I don't like it when people go whipping down my street to get their kids to Egremont School either."
Shedd also asked that no parking ordinances on California, Maryland, and Allendale avenues be removed.
"That neighborhood I guess back in GE's heyday had a big problem with the workers parking there, walking to work, so they put up no-parking signs," Shedd said.
"It's not really a problem anymore and people want to be able to park in front of their houses on their street."
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