A Plan for Billerica Center A Suggested Traffic Flow Pattern and Expanded Common That Will Provide A Safer, More Appeal

1. To be supportive of development within Billerica Center, I am addressing the aspects of change that I feel will have to be made before local businesses will want to invest in renovation projects. • The traffic pattern through the center must be changed to allow safe and easy access to all services offered – A draft plan is attached • The Common needs to be redesigned to incorporate ample, safe parking with sidewalks and crosswalks that allow safe unencumbered access to available community services and businesses • With these infrastructure changes, I feel that there may not be a need to incorporate housing within the center business district to promote reinvestment by locally owned Billerica center businesses. • Without these infrastructure changes, I find it difficult to be supportive of multiuse overlay provisions. • Sincerely, • David Johnson • Pct 8 Town Meeting Member A Plan for Billerica Center A Suggested Traffic Flow Pattern and Expanded Common That Will Provide A Safer, More Appealing, More Vibrant Billerica Center

2. O’Connor Plaza Billerica Mall Andover Rd Parking Parking Charnstaff Concord Rd Parking Parking Parking River Rd Church Historic Home Arts Center Library Sr Center Parking Masonic Hall Parking Parking

3. Safety, Access, and Business Improvement Aspects of Suggested Traffic Flow Pattern and Common Expansion • Allow Faster and Safer Emergency Vehicle Response • Increase Pedestrian Safety • Provide Unencumbered Pedestrian Access to the Common from Arts Center, Library, and Senior Center • Eliminate all Unsafe Pedestrian cross walks that presently exist. • Eliminate Confusing and Dangerous traffic patterns • Eliminate the continuous traffic flowing directly past the Arts Center, the Library, the Senior Center, the Masonic Hall, and the Unitarian Church resulting from the nearly uninterrupted convergence of six traffic lanes. • Eliminate the daunting task of merging with a continuous flow of traffic and crossing 2 or 3 heavy traffic lanes; and doing all of this within a distance of 150 ft when exiting the Library or Senior Center parking areas. • Provide additional parking for safe access to all Billerica Center Businesses and Services. • Allow direct access to parking for center businesses by eliminating the traffic barriers in the middle of the street • Reduce the number of accidents. (Reducing Accidents in Town, reduces Billerica driver’s Insurance rates) • Allow incorporation of automatic traffic regulation and enforcement cameras at primary intersections to eliminate (reduce significantly) unsafe driving practices. • A safer center and additional parking will Increase foot traffic to the restaurants and services offered within the center, leading to a more vibrant and profitable business environment and natural business expansion.

4. Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Billerica Common(Information available from Billerica Police Department) • To evaluate safety within the Billerica Common Area, the number of traffic and pedestranian1 accidents reported to/responded to the Billerica Police dept the information from the following intersections needs to be evaluated. (An * denotes the regulated intersections) • Boston Rd and Cummings St* • Boston Rd and Grace* • Concord Rd and Cummings St* • Concord Rd between Boston Rd and Pages Ct • Concord Rd and Blanchard Ave • Concord Rd and Boston Rd* • Boston Rd and Andover Rd* • Boston Rd and River Rd* • River Rd and Concord Rd* • Additionally all traffic and pedestranian1 accidents within the Common area along Boston Rd and Concord Rd between River Rd and the Cummings St/Boston Rd/Grace intersection which have not been reported relative to intersection, but street location need to be included in the safety evaluation. 1 I use the term “Pedestranian” to define a person in the crosswalks at Billerica Common - An alien to the environment