Above: The traffic pattern on North Street in Pittsfield has been adjusted again to encourage the use of bicycles. The city has proposed a new network of bike âfacilitiesâ â painted bike lanes, signs and flex poles among them â covering 90 miles of roads in the newly unveiled Bicycle Facilities Master Plan. Top: Freshly painted markings create a separate bike lane along North Street. photos by BEN GARVER â THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
PITTSFIELD â The current network of bikeable roads is a series of disconnected islands, city officials say, cut off from one another by high-speed and high-traffic roadways like North and Tyler streets.
PITTSFIELD â A trio of councilors is taking a crack at dealing with one of the cityâs perennial issues â curbside trash collections.
A new ordinance proposed by Councilors Peter Marchetti, Pete White and Earl Persip III would place the cityâs trash pickup under a bag-based âpay-as-you-throwâ system.
If the ordinance is approved, residents would be required to place their garbage inside an official trash bag, either in or out of barrels, before it can be removed by haulers. Residents would receive coupons that would allow them to purchase two 15-gallon bags per week â a total of 104 each year â at cost, which shakes out to about 24 to 28 cents each, Marchetti told The Eagle.