An overview of some of the current and future improvements planned for the Lincoln Station area (click image to enlarge).
By Alice Waugh
The town expects to hear within a few weeks about its request for a state grant to fund four roadway projects, including improvements to the unpaved resident commuter lot next to the railroad station in South Lincoln.
Of the requested $400,000 total, $203,000 would pay for paving the lot and improving handicapped parking as well as installing a sidewalk segment, stormwater system, and new signs. The application also seeks about $150,000 to build a 1,700-foot shared-use path linking the pedestrian/bicycle pocket park next to the train tracks to the Codman Road intersection, plus improved crosswalks there.
A third project costing $26,000 would fund alterations to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists at the intersection of Route 117 and Tower Road, and the remaining $20,000 would pay for finishing work on the pocket park with pavers and granite curbing.
A previous $400,000 Complete Streets grant in 2017 funded several projects that are now complete: the pocket park with its bike repair station and informational kiosk, wayfinding signs directing visitors to attractions including Drumlin Farm, repairs to various bike path segments that had been damaged by tree roots, a new sidewalk segment on Lincoln Road near the Ryan Estate, and a crosswalk with flashing lights and a pedestrian island on Route 117 close to the Lincoln Road intersection.
The projects are part of a larger South Lincoln revitalization effort spearheaded by the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC). Subgroups of that committee are also pursuing plans to revamp the MBTA station area, and to amend zoning in South Lincoln to encourage different housing and commercial options. SLPIC unveiled its proposals at a public forum in May.
Last year, the town was conditionally awarded $500,000 to design the commuter station improvements, but it’s unclear whether Lincoln will ever see that money. Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney said town officials are continuing to work with the MBTA and Lincoln’s state legislators, but obtaining funds from a grant or other alternative source would be very difficult because most grants require that the land in question be owned by the town.
Meanwhile, town officials held a kickoff meeting last week with a consultant who will look at options for a system that would allow commuters in the larger lot behind Donelan’s to pay for parking using using either a smartphone app or cash. No changes are expected until next spring because “lots of decisions that have to be made regarding the type of system, the fee (will it remain the same or increase), etc.,” Burney said.
Another area of SLIPC’s attention is the underused green space between the mall and Lincoln Woods. The town has applied three times for a matching grant to pay for work outlined by landscape architect Lemon Brooke LLC but with no luck thus far.
“Because the town does not own this, it’s up to the Rural Land Foundation to decide what they will do. The RLF is working closely with Lemon Brook Design Firm on a design and hopefully in the future we will see some improvements there,” Burney said. Officials are also looking at other sites around Lincoln Station for the playground that was part of that grant application.