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Westborough select board pushes ATSC review after heated debate over townwide striping proposal
Summary
Select Board members debated a resident proposal to restripe roughly 7.6 miles of town roads to create bike shoulders for an estimated <$200,000, while DPW warned about Chapter 90 funding limits, variable road widths, and contractor/mobilization costs; board asked ATSC to review and return with recommendations.
The Town of Westborough Select Board spent a large portion of its Jan. 13 meeting debating whether to pursue a low-cost restriping program to add bicycle shoulders on major town roads or to continue tying “complete streets” improvements to full road repaving and grant-funded reconstruction.
The discussion was sparked by a resident proposal that estimated about 7.6 miles of roadway could be restriped — removing old fog lines and repainting — for under $200,000. Proponents on the board argued the change could quickly and affordably increase biking access across significant corridors; opponents, including Department of Public Works (DPW) leadership, said the town would not get uniform bike lanes by simple restriping and that the money might be better used for ADA ramps, crossings or pavement work.
“We don’t deliberately go out to any street and just change the lines,” DPW Director Chris Payance told the board, noting the town’s practice is to consider striping changes when a roadway is already being resurfaced. “The minimum we use is 10 feet” for a vehicle lane, Payance added, explaining MassDOT expectations for lanes and shared-use paths when outside grant money is involved.
Derek Dyer, assistant DPW director, described recent local work: new curb ramps, dozens of rapid‑flashing beacons and sidewalk repairs tied to the town’s Chapter 90 and grant-funded paving program. He urged caution about simply painting over existing lines: “If you grind that out … you’re leaving an eighth of an inch or more recessed in that pavement,” Dyer said, noting drainage and surface variability that affect cyclists.
Select Board members acknowledged those constraints but said the resident plan could produce more “bang for the buck” than multi‑year grant projects and urged a more proactive townwide strategy to avoid a patchwork of short, unconnected improvements. One member described the proposal as an opportunity to create broader access with modest funding and suggested phasing costs over multiple years or bringing a warrant article to Town Meeting.
The board did not resolve the dispute at the meeting. Instead, members agreed to ask the Active Transportation & Safe Streets Committee (ATSC) to review the resident plan and produce a recommendation on feasibility, scope and costs. The board also directed staff and ATSC to consider whether the town should revisit the Complete Streets policy language, clarify implementation ownership and identify measurable performance goals.
Next procedural steps: ATSC will be invited to present findings and options to the Select Board; DPW said it can supply spot measurements and examples from recently repaved streets to show likely shoulder gains. Any change that requires town funding or a warrant article would return to the board for formal consideration and, if necessary, a vote at Town Meeting.
