MARBLEHEAD— Sustainability Coordinator, Logan Casey, discussed a sidewalk implementation on Lafayette Street.

Casey said the Public Works department is working on a couple of new designs for streets and intersections around the town. 

He said recently, a contract was approved to conduct various sidewalk improvements, including adding a sidewalk along Lafayette Street.

“This is a huge improvement,” Casey said. 

He said Beach Street has been a priority of the Complete Streets Committee to redesign. 

“It’s a wide one-way street with no sidewalks,” he said. 

Regarding the four signalized intersections, Casey said, the town has recently signed a contract to start redesigning them to consider better pedestrian and bike improvements.

He said this might also include replacing a signalized intersection with a roundabout as well. 

He said those conversations would happen within the initial redesign work.

“The whole point of developing these comprehensive visions of the bike and pedestrian plans is to allow our community to focus less on just automobiles for getting around,” Casey said.

He said the current sidewalks in Marblehead “are in pretty poor condition.”

Through the pedestrian and bike implementation plan, he said he hopes to see an improvement in the protected bicycle infrastructure. 

By putting together these comprehensive plans and then eventually implementing them as well, Casey said, the town will get closer to incentivizing more transit-oriented developments, “Where you don’t necessarily have to rely on a car to get around to the grocery store, or to school and to work.”

He added this could also be improved by using the MBTA service which is currently operating every half an hour and by improving the Rail Trail system. 

He said he hopes to finish the bike plan by the end of the year.