Planner agrees to move Union St. sculpture

Manhan Rail Trail Committee · Meeting of September 28, 2026

EASTHAMPTON — The Manhan Rail Trail Committee said the city's planner agreed to move a sculpture pad farther from the Union Street bike path after safety concerns. Chair Barbara LaBombard reported the roughly $1,750 Lovefield Street fence bill was paid, and the committee logged two $1,000 donations this fall, from Eastworks and Keystone. Member Alexis Hosea-Abbott said a proposed city e-bike ordinance, stalled in City Council with no hearing date set, would likely "duplicate what the state is already working on" and might not restrict commercially built bikes as drafted.

The Bike/Pedestrian Subcommittee reported new East Street "fog lines" were striped too close to the road's edge, narrowing the bike lane on a road posted at 35 to 45 miles per hour, and said the city's 25 mph in-city speed limit remains unenforced. LaBombard opened discussion on a tiered business-sponsorship program after the committee's informal mill-owner donation arrangement proved unreliable.

In the full story:

• Approval of Minutes
• Public Comment and the Stalled E-Bike Ordinance
• Union Street Sculpture Placement
• Procedural steps and outcome: No vote; a member volunteered to draft correspondence to the planner addressed to "Allison."
• Lovefield Street Fence and Bench Area
• Bike/Pedestrian Subcommittee Report
• Trail Maintenance Update
• Southampton Trail Status
• Signage Review Near Coleman Road
• Business Sponsorship Program (New Business)
• Upcoming Events and Fundraising
• Scheduling
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,564 words

Source: the Manhan Rail Trail Committee meeting of September 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.