Mass Rail Trail News
Tom Connors
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Nashua: alternative bike plan for downtown
During her presentation on Nashua’s $2 million downtown sidewalk plan on Monday, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau told city boards that the upgrade won’t include adding bicycle lanes on Main Street – but that doesn’t mean the city is saying no to cycling downtown.
“While I understand people would like bike lanes, in order to really do bike lanes properly in the downtown, you’d have to lose a lane of traffic,” Lozeau said. “What we’re really trying to do is finish the rail trail and some of those other things that will allow bicycles to get you where you need to go in this area.”
Main Street isn’t conducive to bicycle traffic, Lozeau added, pointing out the hazards of cycling past a parked car when a driver opens his or her door.
“We’re trying to find a way to have a bike network so people can still find a way to bike into downtown,” Lozeau said.
Alderman-at-Large Brian McCarthy said at the least, bringing more bike racks onto Main Street is “extremely important.”
“In high-tech, it is very prevalent for people to use bicycles,” McCarthy said.
As the city looks to develop Millyard Technology Park, it may attract residents who will want to use bikes downtown as part of their daily routine, he said.
“We need to develop that alternative bike plan and seriously concentrate on that idea,” McCarthy said.
A group of people particularly focused on bringing bike connections downtown will meet at a future Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting to discuss some ideas to do just that, he said.
DANVERS
The Danvers Rail Trail will be getting a little greener with the help of a recent donation from a local business. Cell Signaling Technology provided the trail committee with a $1,300 grant to support the group’s Greening up the Danvers Rail Trail program. Under the initiative, the committee plans to install 20 planters at key intersections along the trail, featuring an assortment of spring bulbs and seasonal flowers, according to Kate Day, the town’s senior planner. Boy Scout Troop 155 has agreed to manage an adopt-a-planter program beginning next spring for residents, businesses, and organizations for maintaining specific planters. To participate, e-mailin...@danversrailtrail.org.  Meanwhile, the committee is inviting the public to take part in a rail trail work party on Saturday. The work will involve installing the bases for four interpretive signs created for the trail through funding provided by the Essex National Heritage Commission. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Hobart Street parking lot at 8 a.m. The work is expected to take about four hours.
August 5, 2012
State funding includes sidewalks, lighting for Lower Millyard
By Mac CerulloStaff Writer
AMESBURY — Two Amesbury projects totaling $1.9 million were earmarked in the massive Transportation Bond Bill passed by state lawmakers last week.
According to state Rep. Michael Costello’s office, the $1.4 billion bill authorizes lawmakers to spend $1 million on improvements to the Lower Millyard, including roadwork construction and streetscape improvements, as well as $900,000 on building a connecting trail between the Riverwalk in Amesbury and the Point Ghost Trail in Salisbury, the final link in the Coastal Trails Coalition network of bike and rail trails.
The bill also allocates an additional $3 million to projects in Newburyport and Salisbury, Costello’s office said.
Brendan Heyck, a spokesman from Costello’s office, cautioned that while the bill authorizes funding to the projects, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that any of them will ultimately move forward. State officials will set priorities over the next year and choose which projects to fund accordingly, he said.
Should the Amesbury projects move forward, the funds allocated to the Lower Millyard would be used to build pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, improved roadways and period lighting, Costello said.
“This work will be necessary in connecting these enhancements at the center of our community and provide an attractive gateway to the Bartley development as well as the new Senior and Transportation Center,” Costello said.
The improvements would be made as part of a larger effort to redevelop the Lower Millyard. That effort will include the demolition of the DPW garage, construction of a boat launch and renovation of the Carriage Museum and Amesbury Chamber Building, Costello said.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of these moving components,” said Mayor Thatcher Kezer. “The DPW moving out of there is the biggie, but we also have the grant application in for the Heritage Park and then we have street alignments, the footbridge over the Back River, maybe some infrastructure improvements.”
As for the rail trail project, the new connector will link the Riverwalk with the Point Ghost Trail on Rabbit Road, connecting it to an additional 30 miles of trails in the region, including the Clipper City and Great Marsh trails. Currently the Riverwalk starts in the Lower Millyard section of downtown and continues for 1.3 miles before ending near the Route 110 Stop & Shop.
The local network of rail trails has seen a number of improvements over the past few years. Last November, volunteers installed new signposts every tenth of a mile on the 1.3-mile Riverwalk. That way if an emergency situation occurs on the trail, those involved could call police and tell them exactly where they are on the trail.
A few months prior to that, a connection between Newburyport’s Clipper City Rail Trail and Salisbury’s Old Eastern Marsh Trail was approved. When completed, that connector will allow cyclists and walkers to bypass a dangerous crossing on Route 1 and safely loop around to Friedenfels Road in Salisbury via an embankment under the Gillis Bridge.
The project is estimated to cost $1,015,547.98, paid for entirely with federal transportation dollars with the exception of a $1,300 contribution from the state. Officials estimate the new connector will be completed by mid-June 2013, but that it could be useable by this fall after the first layer of pavement is down.
Once that connector is open, the new connection between the Riverwalk and the Point Ghost Trail will be the final piece of the rail trail puzzle.
“With the completion of the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge and the accompanying shared-use-path at the end of 2016, this will put the final piece of the Coastal Trails network in place,” Costello said. “Upon completion, I feel the CTC system will be the most attractive rail trail in the commonwealth.”
The bill has been sent to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk for approval, but as of press time it had not been signed.
Council Members Propose Widening Brooklyn Bridge Bike-Ped Path
Posted: 07 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT
The council members' proposal would triple the width for pedestrians and create a separated, two-way bikeway on the bridge. Image: Office of Council Member Brad Lander
Council Members Brad Lander, Margaret Chin, and Stephen Levin — along with advocates from Transportation Alternatives — stood at the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge this morning and put forth a proposal to expand the bridge’s increasingly popular and exceedingly cramped bike and pedestrian path.
“It’s about time, in 2012, that we update it a little bit,” said Lander.
This announcement comes as a response to several years of rising pedestrian and bike traffic on the bridge. As the number of cyclists crossing the Brooklyn Bridge surpasses an average of 3,000 daily, and the number of tourists and walk-to-work commuters exceeds 4,000, according to NYC DOT, the potential for conflict and collisions has grown. While the daily tabloids have sensationalized the competition for space, there’s no doubt that it’s real and that something must be done about it.
The most recent efforts to address this issue have been the “pedestrian safety managers” that were hired by the city to ensure safety on the bridge. But as Levin said, “there is a limit to what can be done with management of the path.”
Currently the path ranges from eight feet to 16 feet wide, not including wider sections where the path passes the bridge buttresses. (It was also narrowed by three feet in some places due to reconstruction work that began in 2010.) The proposal unveiled today would widen the path to 34 feet, providing significantly more space for both pedestrians and cyclists.
The crux of the proposal is to expand the path so that the entire length is as wide as the sections that extend out and over the roadway in order to pass the buttresses. Extending the more generous width to the whole length of the bridge would allow for the creation of a two-way, separated bike path and a tripling of the space dedicated to pedestrians.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Nashua: alternative bike plan for downtown
During her presentation on Nashua’s $2 million downtown sidewalk plan on Monday, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau told city boards that the upgrade won’t include adding bicycle lanes on Main Street – but that doesn’t mean the city is saying no to cycling downtown.
“While I understand people would like bike lanes, in order to really do bike lanes properly in the downtown, you’d have to lose a lane of traffic,” Lozeau said. “What we’re really trying to do is finish the rail trail and some of those other things that will allow bicycles to get you where you need to go in this area.”
Main Street isn’t conducive to bicycle traffic, Lozeau added, pointing out the hazards of cycling past a parked car when a driver opens his or her door.
“We’re trying to find a way to have a bike network so people can still find a way to bike into downtown,” Lozeau said.
Alderman-at-Large Brian McCarthy said at the least, bringing more bike racks onto Main Street is “extremely important.”
“In high-tech, it is very prevalent for people to use bicycles,” McCarthy said.
As the city looks to develop Millyard Technology Park, it may attract residents who will want to use bikes downtown as part of their daily routine, he said.
“We need to develop that alternative bike plan and seriously concentrate on that idea,” McCarthy said.
A group of people particularly focused on bringing bike connections downtown will meet at a future Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting to discuss some ideas to do just that, he said.
DANVERS
The Danvers Rail Trail will be getting a little greener with the help of a recent donation from a local business. Cell Signaling Technology provided the trail committee with a $1,300 grant to support the group’s Greening up the Danvers Rail Trail program. Under the initiative, the committee plans to install 20 planters at key intersections along the trail, featuring an assortment of spring bulbs and seasonal flowers, according to Kate Day, the town’s senior planner. Boy Scout Troop 155 has agreed to manage an adopt-a-planter program beginning next spring for residents, businesses, and organizations for maintaining specific planters. To participate, e-mailin...@danversrailtrail.org.  Meanwhile, the committee is inviting the public to take part in a rail trail work party on Saturday. The work will involve installing the bases for four interpretive signs created for the trail through funding provided by the Essex National Heritage Commission. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Hobart Street parking lot at 8 a.m. The work is expected to take about four hours.
August 5, 2012
Nashua: alternative bike plan for downtown
During her presentation on Nashua’s $2 million downtown sidewalk plan on Monday, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau told city boards that the upgrade won’t include adding bicycle lanes on Main Street – but that doesn’t mean the city is saying no to cycling downtown.
“While I understand people would like bike lanes, in order to really do bike lanes properly in the downtown, you’d have to lose a lane of traffic,” Lozeau said. “What we’re really trying to do is finish the rail trail and some of those other things that will allow bicycles to get you where you need to go in this area.”
Main Street isn’t conducive to bicycle traffic, Lozeau added, pointing out the hazards of cycling past a parked car when a driver opens his or her door.
“We’re trying to find a way to have a bike network so people can still find a way to bike into downtown,” Lozeau said.
Alderman-at-Large Brian McCarthy said at the least, bringing more bike racks onto Main Street is “extremely important.”
“In high-tech, it is very prevalent for people to use bicycles,” McCarthy said.
As the city looks to develop Millyard Technology Park, it may attract residents who will want to use bikes downtown as part of their daily routine, he said.
“We need to develop that alternative bike plan and seriously concentrate on that idea,” McCarthy said.
A group of people particularly focused on bringing bike connections downtown will meet at a future Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting to discuss some ideas to do just that, he said.
State funding includes sidewalks, lighting for Lower Millyard
By Mac CerulloStaff Writer
AMESBURY — Two Amesbury projects totaling $1.9 million were earmarked in the massive Transportation Bond Bill passed by state lawmakers last week.
According to state Rep. Michael Costello’s office, the $1.4 billion bill authorizes lawmakers to spend $1 million on improvements to the Lower Millyard, including roadwork construction and streetscape improvements, as well as $900,000 on building a connecting trail between the Riverwalk in Amesbury and the Point Ghost Trail in Salisbury, the final link in the Coastal Trails Coalition network of bike and rail trails.
The bill also allocates an additional $3 million to projects in Newburyport and Salisbury, Costello’s office said.
Brendan Heyck, a spokesman from Costello’s office, cautioned that while the bill authorizes funding to the projects, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that any of them will ultimately move forward. State officials will set priorities over the next year and choose which projects to fund accordingly, he said.
Should the Amesbury projects move forward, the funds allocated to the Lower Millyard would be used to build pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, improved roadways and period lighting, Costello said.
“This work will be necessary in connecting these enhancements at the center of our community and provide an attractive gateway to the Bartley development as well as the new Senior and Transportation Center,” Costello said.
The improvements would be made as part of a larger effort to redevelop the Lower Millyard. That effort will include the demolition of the DPW garage, construction of a boat launch and renovation of the Carriage Museum and Amesbury Chamber Building, Costello said.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of these moving components,” said Mayor Thatcher Kezer. “The DPW moving out of there is the biggie, but we also have the grant application in for the Heritage Park and then we have street alignments, the footbridge over the Back River, maybe some infrastructure improvements.”
As for the rail trail project, the new connector will link the Riverwalk with the Point Ghost Trail on Rabbit Road, connecting it to an additional 30 miles of trails in the region, including the Clipper City and Great Marsh trails. Currently the Riverwalk starts in the Lower Millyard section of downtown and continues for 1.3 miles before ending near the Route 110 Stop & Shop.
The local network of rail trails has seen a number of improvements over the past few years. Last November, volunteers installed new signposts every tenth of a mile on the 1.3-mile Riverwalk. That way if an emergency situation occurs on the trail, those involved could call police and tell them exactly where they are on the trail.
A few months prior to that, a connection between Newburyport’s Clipper City Rail Trail and Salisbury’s Old Eastern Marsh Trail was approved. When completed, that connector will allow cyclists and walkers to bypass a dangerous crossing on Route 1 and safely loop around to Friedenfels Road in Salisbury via an embankment under the Gillis Bridge.
The project is estimated to cost $1,015,547.98, paid for entirely with federal transportation dollars with the exception of a $1,300 contribution from the state. Officials estimate the new connector will be completed by mid-June 2013, but that it could be useable by this fall after the first layer of pavement is down.
Once that connector is open, the new connection between the Riverwalk and the Point Ghost Trail will be the final piece of the rail trail puzzle.
“With the completion of the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge and the accompanying shared-use-path at the end of 2016, this will put the final piece of the Coastal Trails network in place,” Costello said. “Upon completion, I feel the CTC system will be the most attractive rail trail in the commonwealth.”
The bill has been sent to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk for approval, but as of press time it had not been signed.
|
|
Council Members Propose Widening Brooklyn Bridge Bike-Ped Path Posted: 07 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT  The council members' proposal would triple the width for pedestrians and create a separated, two-way bikeway on the bridge. Image: Office of Council Member Brad Lander Council Members Brad Lander, Margaret Chin, and Stephen Levin — along with advocates from Transportation Alternatives — stood at the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge this morning and put forth a proposal to expand the bridge’s increasingly popular and exceedingly cramped bike and pedestrian path. “It’s about time, in 2012, that we update it a little bit,” said Lander. This announcement comes as a response to several years of rising pedestrian and bike traffic on the bridge. As the number of cyclists crossing the Brooklyn Bridge surpasses an average of 3,000 daily, and the number of tourists and walk-to-work commuters exceeds 4,000, according to NYC DOT, the potential for conflict and collisions has grown. While the daily tabloids have sensationalized the competition for space, there’s no doubt that it’s real and that something must be done about it. The most recent efforts to address this issue have been the “pedestrian safety managers” that were hired by the city to ensure safety on the bridge. But as Levin said, “there is a limit to what can be done with management of the path.” Currently the path ranges from eight feet to 16 feet wide, not including wider sections where the path passes the bridge buttresses. (It was also narrowed by three feet in some places due to reconstruction work that began in 2010.) The proposal unveiled today would widen the path to 34 feet, providing significantly more space for both pedestrians and cyclists. The crux of the proposal is to expand the path so that the entire length is as wide as the sections that extend out and over the roadway in order to pass the buttresses. Extending the more generous width to the whole length of the bridge would allow for the creation of a two-way, separated bike path and a tripling of the space dedicated to pedestrians. |
The last Alewife link advances
This wooden lattice stands ready to support the walking surface of the boardwalk August 1. That’s St. Paul Cemetery in the background on the Arlington side.
Have you noticed something new in your neighborhood? Hubway has expanded our network of stations in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville, creating a truly regional transit network! Ready to ride? Check out the list below of Hubway's newest installed stations. We'll continue to deploy more stations over the coming weeks, so stay in touch to learn where you'll find us next.
Boston Stations Installed:
- Boylston St/Washington St
- Allston Green District - Commonwealth Ave & Griggs St
- South Bay Plaza - Mass Ave
- Harvard Real Estate - Brighton Mills - 370 Western Ave
Brookline Stations Installed:
- Coolidge Corner - Beacon St @ Centre St
- Brookline Town Hall/Library @ Washington St
Cambridge Stations Installed:
- Harvard Kennedy School at Bennett St/Eliot St
- Harvard Square at Brattle St/Eliot St
- Harvard Square at Mass Ave/Dunster St
- Central Sq Post Office/Cambridge City Hall at Mass Ave/Pleasant St
- Central Square at Mass Ave/Essex St
- Lafayette Square at Mass Ave/Main St/Columbia St
- MIT at Mass Ave/Amherst St
- MIT State Center at Vassar St/Main St
- Beacon St at Washington St/Kirkland St
- Union Square - Somerville
- Somerville City Hall
Please see the two maps HERE for the latest information as of August 2, 2012 on the progress of the Blackstone River Bikeway in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Using these charts, you will see that many segments are in design or have construction slated to begin soon.
Agreement Says Union Square Green Line Station Operational by 2017
In an agreement with the MBTA and MassDOT, the city of Somerville will buy land in Union Square for the station in exchange for a commitment that the station be operational no later than early 2017.
Bikers And Motorists Learn To Share The Road
The extension of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail into Westfield from Southwick means more bike traffic. Plans for the next phase of the trail will bring it into downtown, connecting to the north side near the Great River Bridge. To prepare for increased bike traffic, bike lanes were created during recent downtown construction.
Southampton Earmark Good For Bikers
BOSTON – An allocation of funds to the town of Southampton has people in Westfield and Southwick excited.
The Legislature passed the transportation bond conference committee report that will allocate $1.4 billion for infrastructure projects including road, bridge or rail projects in Agawam, Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, Southampton, Chicopee, and Montgomery. The bill includes an earmark of $500,000 for the acquisition and construction of a rail trail in Southampton.
Though Southampton residents voted against two rail trail proposals in the 1990s, a renewed effort underway since then is gaining more momentum. In October 2011, the town Select Board accepted a Greenway Feasibility Study created by the Pare Group of Foxboro, Mass. and established a Greenway Committee the next month.
According to a letter by Michael Buehler, chairman of the Southampton Greenway Committee, to the Massbike Pioneer Valley email list, the committee is charged with acquisition and design of a trail along an abandoned railroad corridor that extends from the end of the Manhan Rail Trail at Coleman Road to the intersection of Route 10 and Brickyard Road.
“Probably the single biggest factor putting ‘wind in our sails’ is the completion of the Manhan Trail to Coleman Road – now it seems that lots of Southampton residents are riding that trail and wondering why we don’t have our own,” Buehler stated in his letter.
Jeff Lavalley of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway in Westfield said this is “fantastic news” for Southampton and those who enjoy using the Greenway Rail Trail, which begins in Farmington, Conn., and will extend to Amherst once Westfield and Southampton connect on both sides.
“This is a positive step forward in linking together an interstate trail system,” said Lavalley. “It’s exciting.”
Westfield is nearly done with the first phase of its trail, which connects to Southwick along Shaker Road. Lavalley said he is “extremely happy” with the progress Westfield is making.
“The last I knew there was a punch-list walk-through to go over the final details of the project,” he said.
Southwick Park and Recreation Commissioner Daniel Call said it’s a “great idea” to try to connect all the towns.
“When Westfield gets to the north side they will somehow meet up with Southampton – it’s an added piece to the puzzle (for Southampton to begin its trail),” said Call. “It’s moving forward – this is good news.”
A proposal to transform a blighted old railway corridor in Upper Falls into a greenway is one step closer to reality.
The MBTA’s Board of Directors authorized a 99-year lease with Newton last week, allowing the city to create a new rail trail. The board also authorized 99-year leases with the towns of Medfield, Dover and Needham for portions of the abandoned railroad right-of-way, which stretches through the three towns, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.
Each municipality will have to approve a lease with the MBTA independently.
The new leases equal 9.1 miles of new trail development, which will be known as the Bay Colony Rail Trail, Pesaturo said. The path is not continuous.
Newton’s portion of the rail will be up to 2 miles, Medfield has 1.5 miles, Dover has 3.5 miles and Needham has 2 miles. Newton’s stretch runs from Curtis Street, off of Winchester Street, under the Route 9 bridge to the Charles River.
Activists and city officials are cheering the move by the MBTA as an energizing milestone for the project.
“This was the biggest obstacle,” said Jerry Reilly, a local activist. “We could have a bike path next summer and I’m definitely going to push as hard as I can to make that happen.”
Newton expects to work with the Iron Horse Preservation Society, a nonprofit that converts abandoned railroads into usable recreational trails, to remove the inactive tracks at no cost. Iron Horse has also told city officials they have money to install benches and trashcans, Newton’s Chief Operating Officer Bob Rooney told the TAB.
“The goal of this project has been picking up a mile of recreation space at as little cost as possible,” said Alderman John Rice.
Reilly went on a door-to-door campaign to collect signatures earlier this year to gauge interest in the greenway. He collected more than 700 signatures from abutters, businesses and residents supporting the green stretch between Upper Falls and Newton Highlands.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Transportation bond talks include bicycle path along Blackstone
By John J. Monahan, Telegram & Gazette Staff
August 1, 2012
BOSTON – Authorization of $3.5 million to revive state funding for the unfinished Massachusetts sections of the Blackstone River Greenway bicycle path hung in the balance late last night as legislators scrambled to beat the stroke of midnight that would mark the end of formal sessions for the year.
The bikeway funding is one of dozens of key transportation projects in line for support as part of a $1.4 billion transportation bond bill that was still being hammered out in the final hours of the session
Earlier yesterday the House and Senate adopted an economic development bill, a bill regulating utility responses to power outages and an economic development bill intended to spur job growth..
State Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, amended the bond bill to earmark no less than $3.5 million for the bikeway, which has been designed as a two-state 48-mile bike path along the Blackstone River from Worcester to Providence.
Mr. Moore said the earmark would make the funds available for the state’s share of the final design, land acquisition, and construction of four remaining phases of the project, which Mr. Moore described as a legacy project of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
He said funds for the project largely dried up when the recession hit the state budget several years ago and the project has run into delays with difficult design issues.
“I don’t think it will be full funding for construction,” he said of the new funding proposal. “The hope is it will do some design and some of the land-taking,” he said, while state work on converting four bridges for the bikeway which were built but never used for rail could begin later this year.
Currently there are 10 miles of the bikeway completed in Central Falls, Lincoln and Cumberland R.I., and 2.5 miles of bikeway are completed in Worcester and Millbury.
In a recent assessment of the project Mr. Moore noted that an additional 2.5 miles are in design in Worcester where the bikeway will connect to Union Station. Another 3.5-mile section in Blackstone and Millville is also in design, and work on the four bridges is pending. Also in design is a 6.5 miles stretch from the Millville Lock to River Bend Farm.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation meanwhile is working on the remaining 11.5 miles that will connect the northern and southern sections in Massachusetts.
<snip>
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Bikeway plan cut by $1.5M
By Karen Nugent, Telegram & Gazette Staff
August 2, 2012
BOSTON – Legislators cut a proposed allocation of $3.5 million to $2 million for the Blackstone River Bikeway
The bikeway connecting Worcester and Providence in the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor is partially complete.
State Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, had called for the larger sum to be included in a bill authorizing a $1.4 billion transportation bond for local projects. The bill cleared the Legislature in its final formal session for the year late Tuesday.
But a conference committee named to work out a compromise bill between the House and Senate cut back Mr. Moore’s earmark, which had been included in the earlier Senate version of the bill, reducing the amount to $2 million.
Mr. Moore said he hopes the funding will put key parts of the project back into the design and construction stages.
Also included in the final bond authorization bill was $3 million for a promotion project in Worcester called the Wayfinder System, intended to raise the profile of the city’s arts and cultural attractions.
Other local projects included in the final bill, now on the governor’s desk for his review include: $750,000 funds for resurfacing Boylston Street in Shrewsbury; $2.3 million for construction on Route 140 in Princeton; $528,000 for sewer and drainage lines and reconstruction of the North Vine Street in Winchendon, $775,000 for construction of a municipal parking lot on Front Street in Winchendon; $150,000 for design and installation of a panelized bridge on Glen Valley Road in Petersham; $100,000 for a new traffic signal at Route 16 and Hartford Avenue in Mendon; $70,000 for reconstruction of sidewalks on Main Street in Charlton.
Also, $1,500,000 to replace a water main on Mechanic Street in Barre; $300,000 to reconstruct North Avenue in Mendon and provide signalization at North Avenue and Hastings Street; $3 million for a traffic signalization project on Park Avenue in Worcester; $250,000 for design and right-of-way costs for roads and sidewalk reconstruction of Maple Street in Marlboro; $600,000 for design and construction of Route 140 improvements in Westminster.
Also, $450,000 for design of Summer Street improvements in Fitchburg, Leominster and Lunenburg; $100,000 for design and permitting of the first phase of an alternate route for Veterans Memorial Drive in Milford; $1.6 million for culverts and repairs to Sword Street in Auburn; $345,000 for design of the Cox Street Bridge in Hudson; $250,000 for design of improvements to John Fitch Highway in Fitchburg; and $100,000 for business development on Route 140 in Boylston.
City Council members cited a Transportation Department estimate that about 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge each day, including tourists and commuters.
Council Members Call for Widening Walkers’ Path on the Brooklyn Bridge
By MATT FLEGENHEIMER
Three City Council members are trying to sell a plan for part of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Citing the tight quarters of the pedestrian and bicycle paths on the bridge, the Council members proposed on Tuesday to widen the upper-level platform, a popular artery for tourists and commuters.
A detailed plan has not been drafted, nor have engineers been consulted on a possible proposal. Councilman Stephen Levin, whose district includes the Brooklyn side of the bridge, suggested that “the engineering and ideas community” would be enlisted to fill the gap, perhaps through a competition organized by local design groups.
“None of us are engineers,” Mr. Levin said.
Still, proponents estimated that the amount of pedestrian space could be tripled, noting the areas of the existing pathway that widen.
“Just looking at how the path goes around the buttresses gives you a sense that a wider path is feasible,” Councilman Brad Lander of Brooklyn said. “If it can widen out there, surely we can find a way to widen it out elsewhere.”
Mr. Lander added that he expected the bridge to be able to handle any additional load.
Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents the Manhattan side, also attended the event on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Mr. Lander’s office said the city Transportation Department had not yet been consulted about a possible plan, though they were alerted about the announcement.
In a statement, Seth Solomonow, a spokesman for the Transportation Department, said that the city shared the members’ “interest in enhancing safety and accommodating the growing number of people crossing this iconic transportation hub and tourist destination.”
Any proposed designs “would be part of a long-term look at improving bridge access and safety,” Mr. Solomonow added.
The width of the main portion of the pathway varies between 8 and 16 feet, according to Mr. Lander’s office. A bike lane on the bridge can comfortably fit only one rider in many areas, though traffic is intended to flow in both directions. The council members cited a Transportation Department estimate that about 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists cross the bridge each day.
“We have people competing for a really limited amount of space,” said Jennifer So Godzeno, the pedestrian advocacy manager for Transportation Alternatives, a group that promotes initiatives to increase walking and cycling.
Robert J. Pirani, the vice president of environmental programs at the Regional Plan Association, a nonprofit planning agency, said he did not know of any projects in recent memory that involved widening an existing bridge path.
He also noted that any proposal would have to account for what is already a substantial pedestrian traffic bottleneck on the Manhattan side of the bridge.
“That’s just going to get worse if you have more capacity on the bridge,” Mr. Pirani said.
But the expansion idea was well worth exploring, he added, and visitors to the bridge on Tuesday seemed to agree.
Jamel Wingate, 38, who sells cold drinks near the Manhattan side, said he observed collisions between cyclists and pedestrians almost every day. “Tourists don’t know it’s a bike lane,” he said. “They just stand there.”
Sitting astride a bicycle on Tuesday afternoon, Nicholas Msall, 19, from Chicago, said the traffic on the bridge was more manageable than he had expected.
As he spoke, another cyclist slithered through a crowd of camera-toting tourists. “Watch out!” the rider shouted as he passed. “Watch out!”
Mr. Msall turned his head to watch the man speed away, then reconsidered.
“It’s a little crowded,” he said.
Cochituate Rail Trail surveys in Natick under way
Read more: Cochituate Rail Trail surveys in Natick under way - Natick, Massachusetts - Natick Bulletin and Tab http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1602166567/Cochituate-Rail-Trail-surveys-in-Natick-under-way#ixzz230WwJFsB
Two surveys are under way that supporters of building the Cochituate Rail Trail hope will bring the project closer to reality.
An engineering firm hired by the town is conducting a field study looking at topography and outlining wetlands along the two-mile stretch of abandoned rail line eyed as a bicycle and pedestrian path between Natick Center and the Framingham town line near Rte. 30.
Meanwhile, CSX, which owns the land, is conducting an appraisal. CSX and the town had each conducted appraisals several years ago, but they could not reach a consensus on a value.
"We had a few years of slow motion," said Selectman Joshua Ostroff, a member of the Cochituate Rail Trail Advisory Committee. "Now I believe we are starting to make more progress."
The field study is expected to be done in the fall, helping the project reach a design threshold required for the state to consider providing funding. The CSX appraisal should be done in a few weeks, at which point selectmen will decide how to proceed, Ostroff said.
"The town is still very interested in working with CSX to come up with a number we can all agree with," selectmen Chairman Paul Joseph said.
Joseph said the trail would connect downtown, a commuter rail station, Natick Mall and many employers.
"To me it’s the linchpin in telling the story of Natick," he said.
Ostroff said the trail would enhance transportation, opening up the possibility of federal funding.
The town also has about $300,000 in Natick Mall mitigation money. That funding must be used by January, although the town is working on extending the deadline. If an extension is not possible, Town Meeting in October may be asked to spend the money to acquire land related to the project, he said.
The trail would continue into Framingham, where construction has already begun. Much of that 1.25-mile stretch has been paved with a base coat as part of a town sewer project. The second of two bridges should be installed this week, said Mark Lamkin, chairman of a Framingham committee working on the trail.
The trail will remain closed until a state project to put down a final coat of pavement and add amenities is finished. Lamkin said he expects that work to start next year.
"We’re hoping that Natick comes along," Lamkin said. "Right now when the trail ends in Framingham, it's ‘What do you do now?’"
(Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@
Read more: Cochituate Rail Trail surveys in Natick under way - Natick, Massachusetts - Natick Bulletin and Tab http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1602166567/Cochituate-Rail-Trail-surveys-in-Natick-under-way#ixzz230WmziWU
Here is a list of projects in the transportation bond for Greater Lowell:
Acton and Concord: $200,000 for the design of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail construction, phase 2B.
Andover, Tewksbury and Wilmington: $2 million for environmental reviews for the Interstate 93 interchange project.
Billerica: $150,000 for the construction of the Yankee Doodle Bike Path from Billerica Memorial High School to the Bedford town line.
Chelmsford: $200,000 for sidewalk repairs along Route 3A north near the Lowell line, including installation of a raised curb and sidewalk repaving.
Dracut: $2 million for the reconstruction and traffic-signal improvements of Nashua Road from Forest Avenue to Oak Terrace.
Lowell: $800,000 for design, construction, right-of-way assembly and related project costs for transportation improvements to support the Tanner Street redevelopment plan.
Tewksbury: $2.5 million for the reconstruction and improvement of Main Street/Route 38 from Old Boston Road to Livingston Street.
Tyngsboro: $250,000 for the study and design of a new bridge spanning the Merrimack River.
Wilmington: $820,000 for safety improvements by installing geometric improvements and full traffic signalization at the intersection of Glen Road, Wildwood Street and Middlesex Avenue (Route 62).
Wilmington: $250,000 for planning, engineering and construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Middlesex Avenue and Main Street.
TOTAL: $9.17 million.
Group plans walkway for Rosendale NY train trestle
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 08/04/12
ROSENDALE — It's tempting to call it "The Walkway Over the Rondout" or maybe "Walkway Junior." But Christine DeBoer asks that you don't. The steel railroad trestle that DeBoer's group is reclaiming from a storied past will have, she promises, its own unique flavor.
DeBoer is executive director of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, the nonprofit group that, in partnership with the Open Space Institute, purchased the Rosendale Trestle Bridge and 11.5 miles of old railbed at a county tax auction in 2009. The group has been at work ever since, transforming what was once a major supply route for Ulster and Orange counties into a modern-day recreational attraction.
The Wallkill Valley Railroad was founded a year after the end of the Civil War; during the next century, it became a lifeline for commuters who worked in Kingston's various needle trades making dresses and sportswear.
Every morning, a freight train carrying lumber and cement, eggs and milk, visited all the stops. The railroad's most lucrative business was hauling anthracite coal from Pennsylvania to upstate communities. Those days came to an end well before 1977, when Conrail took over the line, only to abandon it in later years.
The idea now is to link the 24 miles of the old Wallkill Valley Railroad that pass through the towns of Ulster, Rosendale, New Paltz and Gardiner into a contiguous rail trail.
Much of that trail already exists; people walk and bike along it. But from DeBoer's perspective, the effort to officially complete the 24-mile span is a work in progress. The trust still faces some ownership hurdles further down the northern section of the line, which DeBoer thinks can be resolved by next year.
In the meantime, DeBoer is hoping the trestle project will officially open by the end of this year. When that happens, anyone who's ever stood on the trestle will tell you it will be the rail trail's centerpiece.
The land trust has already raised $1 million in grants and donations toward the final $1.2 million needed to complete the trestle project. The money is paying for rebuilding the trestle's decking. Wherever possible, the trestle's existing ties are being re-used, DeBoer said. Sturdy metal railings are being welded to the trestle's superstructure.
Kingston's days as a business center of the needle trade may be gone; the milk train doesn't stop there anymore.
But if DeBoer's plans come to fruition, the Rosendale Trestle Bridge will begin a new life in a new century, providing a very 21st century sort of service.
The Topsfield Linear Common, also known as the rail trail, is in the midst of constructing a crosswalk so users can safely cross U.S. Route 1 just north of the Topsfield Fairgrounds.
Route 1 is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and their approval was necessary to install the crosswalk. The MassDOT permit approved painting the crosswalk, which has been completed through the generosity of the new bank coming to Topsfield, the Institution for Savings.
MassDOT also approved pedestrian operated push button solar powered flashing lights, which will be similar to those at the Route 97 trail crossing in Wenham. The total cost of the project will be about $40,000.
The Topsfield Selectmen formed the Rail Trail Committee in 2005 to build four miles of trail on the abandoned rail corridor without cost to the town. The two miles of trail that have been completed as well as the Rt. 1 crossing has been largely financed through grants from the Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation and Recreation and private donors including the Friends of Topsfield Trails.
Labor, including the trail’s ongoing maintenance, has been provided for by the Rail Trail Committee and its team of highly dedicated volunteers.
The remaining part of the Topsfield Linear Common, which is owned by National Grid, goes north for two miles to Boxford.
“We are close to getting a license for its use. Funds for the construction may well have to be raised as state grants are down while applications are way up. We hope you will donate to the FriendsOfTopsfieldTrails.Org, a tax deductible organization,” said Joe Geller, chairman, Topsfield Rail Trail Committee.
For current information on the trail visit the town trail website at www.TopsfieldTrail.Org.
Berkshire Bike Path Council
August 2012 Update
This August edition is filled with good news. First, the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) prioritized federal funding for the extension of the Ashuwillticook Trail north from Lime Street in Adams to Hodges Cross Road in North Adams. Second, the MPO designated 13 million dollars towards construction of bike paths in Berkshire County over the next 5 years. See details below. As bike path advocates we must not let this opportunity pass us by. We need to let our local officials know that there is overwhelming support for construction of a bike paths and that local communities should not let this money slip away to other parts of the state.
Third, new road signs on the pavement on North Street in Pittsfield are designed to help cyclists and drivers know that bikes will be traveling in the "traditional" driver lane. More information below. This arrangement requires patience on the part of drivers and extra care in parking. Cyclists need to hold a steady line, follow traffic regulations and use hand signals. Bright colors and helmets are suggested when traveling in this challenging environment. Through riders can also consider using Center Street, where there are shoulders.
Jan. 31 2012 was one of the best attended MPO meetings , including Senator Benjamin Downing, Rep. Paul Marks, Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, Rep.Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Mayor Alcombright, Mayor Bianchi and Selectman Skip Harrington. The message was clear - Berkshire County wants a bike path. And they have responded!!!
The MPO allocated $13,000,000 towards construction of bike paths in Berkshire County in their 5-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The funds require the towns and cities to fund complete project design, environmental permitting and Right of Way before construction money is released and depending upon costs, other sources may also be needed to make up any deficits . The exception is the Mohawk Trail Phase II project in Williamstown and North Adams that funds design, environmental permitting and Right of Way with a Scenic Byways grant. The Town of Lee also has Scenic Byway funds to assist their effort in preparing for construction funds. Details can be found in Lauren R. Stevens' column in 8/6/12 Berkshire Eagle.
Congratulations to Adams and North Adams
Adams and North Adams successfully raised the required funds to bring their project from Lime Street Adams to Hodges Crossing in North Adams to construction. The MPO committed to funding the extension's construction at a well-attended MPO meeting but required additional funds from the communities involved. Congratulations to Mayor Alcombright, Adams and North Adams selectman, town planners and all the bike advocates who were committed to this important project.
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Count 2012
BRPC's intern, Eric Magazu counted trail users this July. He counted all the people crossing the entry gate to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Each user was counted by mode. The direction of travel was not considered (i.e. whether individual was entering or leaving the trail); If an individual crossed the gate and immediately turned around, they counted twice. The position of observation was near the restrooms at the south trailhead, adjacent to the US7 Route 8 Connector Road. The methodology for counting users was different than in years' past, but heavy use of the Trail remains consistent. This methodology will be used in the future so data will be comparable. While we appreciate all the volunteers who have helped with this effort in the past, we welcome the support of BRPC in this effort to collect important data.
NEW BICYCLE SYMBOLS IN PITTSFIELD
You may have noticed the a couple of new pavement markings that look like bicycles around North Street in Pittsfield. The makings are not unique to Pittsfield, but they are new to the area and are standard across the country.
The first marking, seen on the right side of the right lane is:
Experts recommend the placement and design of the markings for several different reasons. The markings help bicyclists stay aware of opened doors from parallel-parked vehicles, help them keep safe positioning when sharing the travel lanes, alert motorists to where bicyclists are likely to be, help cars pass bikes safely, and discourage wrong-way cycling.
The second marking, seen below, is to show bicyclists where to position themselves to 'trip' stoplights through the green-amber-red cycle:
There are also newer signs to guide bikers and remind motorists that we can share the road safely!