AMHERST — Suggestions related to transportation and parking in Amherst can be made through a new online request form, with any ideas submitted to get a reviewed and discussed by the Transportation and Parking Commission.
The service requests, which can be made at amherstma.gov/TPR, include any permanent changes to roads and sidewalks, such as placement of crosswalks, speed limits and truck restrictions, and improvements, amenities or traffic-calming measures.
Bicycle and pedestrian safety concerns can also be noted, along with requests to change parking or to close roads and sidewalks for the long term, though for more immediate issues, such as potholes or missing street signs, residents should continue to use SeeClickFix.
After review, any recommendations for change will be sent to the Town Council and Town Manager Paul Bockelman for approval and implementation.
“Resident suggestions and participation in these decisions are vital,” Andy Steinberg, a former member of the Town Council who chairs the Transportation and Parking Commission, said in a statement. “People used to contact staff and councilors about their concerns, often contacting several different people, with no consistent method to respond.”
Steinberg sees this as a better avenue. “This new form will now provide a clear and effective process for submitting suggestions,” Steinberg added.
The commission, which was created this year, is providing a platform for residents to give feedback directly about their suggestions. The intent of the commission is to make evidence-based decisions about a range of transportation and parking issues.
Its members are Police Chjief Gabriel Ting, Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford Mooring, Director of Planning & Economic Development Jeff Bagg, a representative of the Commission on Persons with Disabilities, two councilors and three appointed residents.
Already, the commission’s work has examined changes to parking spaces near Kendrick Park, where a playground is located and a Portland Loo bathroom will be opening, and potential four-way stop on Bay Road at South East Street and Canterbury Lane.
Veterans Day
Amherst will mark Veterans Day with a ceremony on the North Common, in front of Town Hall, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
The event is being coordinated by the Central Hampshire Veterans Services, with high school students to perform and a guest speaker to offer remarks.
Before the event gets underway, veterans and their families will be invited to a meet-and-greet, with food like coffee, pastries, doughnuts and bagels, at the Bangs Community Center starting at 10 a.m.
After Hours Cuppa Joe
School Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman will join Bockelman for an “after hours” Cuppa Joe conversation at the Amethyst Brook School, 70 South East St., Monday at 5:30 p.m.
This will be the third Cuppa Joe held outside the usual Friday morning time, with community members invited to offer thoughts and comments on town and school matters and ask questions.
The school system has a population of close to 2,790 students between the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools, with native speakers of more than 38 languages. Amethyst Brook is one of three elementary schools in Amherst and Pelham, along with the middle school and high school that serve students from Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury.
Song & Story Swap
Storyteller Andy Davis will perform at First Church, 165 Main St., Saturday at 7 p.m. as part of the Song & Story Swap.
Sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society of Western Massachusetts, Davis, of Tamworth, New Hampshire, will tell stories that blend multicultural folklore, magical realism, grassroots history and personal experience. He spent 22 years co-directing the World Fellowship Center, a family camp and retreat center devoted to peace and social justice.
For more information contact Paul Kaplan, 413-687-5002.
New firefighters
The Amherst Fire Department recently welcomed two new full-time firefighter and paramedic recruits, according to a report from Bockelman.
Eihmear Arlington and Millyness Cotto-Ocasio are joining the department after previously serving as private sector paramedics.
They will do four weeks of orientation training and will start a shift before attending the Massachusetts Fire Academy recruit program. The new recruits join Andre Shepard, who on Nov. 16 will be graduating from the same 10-week program.
Meetings
TUESDAY: Budget Coordinating Group, 4 p.m.; Regional School Committee, 6:30 p.m.
THURFSDAY: Community Resources Committee, 1 p.m.
FRIDAY: Personnel Board, 1 p.m., First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.
