Mass Rail Trail News -September 17 2011
Tom Connors
Patch.com
LeClair said the grant, which is due in February, could be "used the funding for planning purposes" of a rail trail that would connect East Dedham with the Avery School, the high school and Dedham Square. She said a project like that would need to be ...
See all stories on this topic »
Patch.com
However, some people have said they're worried that trail could go onto private property - residential and commercial. What do you think about Dedham building and maintaining a rail trail for pedestrians? Would you use a rail trail in Dedham?
See all stories on this topic »
Thursday, September 22, 6pm-8pm
Somerville High School Cafeteria
81 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA
For language or access accommodations, please contact Beverley Johnson at (617) 296-7003 or bjoh...@bevcoassociates.comcastbiz.net.
If you have any questions on the Green Line Extension project, you can email Kate Fichter at katherin...@state.ma.us
MPO Public Notice - Updated Version of the Draft FFYs 2012-2015 TIP
The Transportation Planning and Programming Committee (TPPC) approved an updated version of the Draft FFYs 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Program at its September 8 meeting. The updated version includes funding corrections, cost updates, and added project details that can be viewed in the attached TIP tables. No major projects are added or removed. The color-coding shows the changes from the initial Draft FFYs 2012-15 TIP that was circulated for public comment on August 15.
The TPPC will meet on Thursday, September 22 to take action on the FFYs 2012-15 TIP, and as always, there will be time for public comments during the meeting.
The document can also be accessed at the link below:
http://www.ctps.org/bostonmpo/3_programs/2_tip/FFYs_2012_2015_Draft_TIP_Tables.pdf
Join us for the 7th annual Hub On Wheels citywide bike ride on Sunday, September 25th, 2011. Experience a car-free Storrow Drive, explore hidden pathways and historic neighborhoods, and take in views of the Boston Harbor that you've never seen before.
The ride starts and finishes on City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, with three different routes to choose from: 10, 30 and 50 miles. Sign up now for what's sure to be the best ride of the year. You haven't seen the Hub until you've seen it on wheels.
Wide variety of sessions of interest to all stakeholders - agency personnel, grassroots advocates, professionals in private practice, and more. DRAFT agenda HERE
Enterprise News
Iron Horse is the company removing old railroad tracks and creating the new rail trail in town, a series of trails which will support light recreation activities. By Seth Jacobson In order to make the Rockland rail trail complete, the town will need ...
See all stories on this topic »
SALISBURY — It's going to get a lot safer for bicyclists and walkers to get from the popular Newburyport Clipper City Rail Trail to Salisbury's Old Eastern Marsh ...
www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1660694385/.../print
"MassDOT engineers and consultants designed a beautiful riverside trail and picnic area that people will enjoy for many years," Klima said.
Those who would like a tour of these two trails now, before the connector is built, can take the Coastal Trails Coalition sponsoring walks coming up soon. As part of the Essex National Heritage Commission annual event on Saturday, there will be a guided walk of the Clipper City Rail Trail, beginning at 10 a.m. and running to noon, starting at Washington Street. And on Saturday, Sept. 24, tours of the Old Eastern Marsh Trail start at Friedenfels, again from 10 a.m. to noon.
There's more planned for rail trail expansion in Salisbury in the coming years, Klima said. Under the Border to Boston rail trail initiative, design work is currently being done that will add 2.3 miles of recreation trail to town. That project will extend the Old Eastern Marsh Trail from Mudnock Road, taking it across Route 110 to Lion's Park and out to Route 1. The trail will include a pedestrian/bicyclist bridge to take people over Route 1 to Salisbury Elementary School, Klima said, and then from the school proceed to the border with New Hampshire in Seabrook.
Connecting trail hits roadblockThe Daily News of Newburyport
But lest it appear that councilors have strayed from the path of providing open-space opportunities, this money could be redirected to plan for the extension of the popular Clipper City Rail Trail. The procedural action came during the council's ...
See all stories on this topic »
| Bradford Rail Trail Grand Opening - YouTube The Mayor of Haverhill gives a presentation at the grand opening of the new Bradford Rail Trail. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLExwKm4KMY |
|||||
| Rail trail to open - Boston.com During the event, the city will recognize the many state leaders who helped to secure funding for the trail, as well as the Friends of the Bradford Rail Trail for their ... articles.boston.com/.../30142507_1_rail-line-city-leaders-state-... |
|
| NEWBURYPORT — City councilors Monday night sent back to committee a measure to fund the Moseley to Maudslay trail for $45,000, and it's possible that the project will languish there. |
Bike enthusiasts will have the chance to try out the Topsfield segment of the Border to Boston Trailt during the Essex County Trails and Sails event.
www.wickedlocal.com/.../Free-bike-trip-on-Border-to-Boston-...
David Read and his family take a bike ride on the Topsfield leg of the Border to Boston Trail. All bike enthusiasts are invited to join an organized weekend ride, a 16-mile loop, that will start and end at Topsfield Crossing. The weekends of Sept. 17-18 and 24-25.
to improve upon the existing transportation network by reducing
automobile traffic while promoting commuter rail, walking, bicycling,
and bus transportation." (quote from the web page at the MAPC RSVP
link below) The Melrose version is Wednesday, September 21.
MAPC community forum RSVP:
http://mapc.org/community-forums-rsvp
Melrose Patch article from today (Sep 15, 2011) with community fora times and dates:
http://melrose.patch.com/announcements/public-invited-to-main-street-corridor-community-forum
Melrose Patch article from May 2011 describing the MAPC grant for planning:
http://melrose.patch.com/articles/smart-transit-grant-for-main-street-corridor-study-awarded-to-melrose
The newest section of the Eastern Trail, which will allow users to walk, run, bike or ski from Saco to the Scarborough Marsh, is another key link in the ...
Concord Monitor
The original itinerary had us riding from the Islands to Burlington via the Island Line Rail Trail, but flooding in the spring had forced a change in route. Instead, we pedaled 18 miles to Snow Farm Vineyard (snowfarm.com) where we enjoyed a picnic ...
See all stories on this topic »
Rail trail headed for Act 250 review By Nathan Burgess Stowe Today | 0 comments ... The beleaguered Lamoille Valley Rail Trail project needs to clear two last ...
www.stowetoday.com/.../article_c54037ac-da1d-11e0-9844-0...
Patch.com
The Milford Upper Charles Trail committee and Friends of the Trail are going to hold a ribbon cutting at 10 am Sept. 24 on the north side of Route 109, ...
Patch.com
By Andrew Sylvia Emily Teller, the Westford representative on the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Board of Directors, points to the location of the proposed parking lot in Acton (the not yet completed portion of the trail is in yellow). ...
See all stories on this topic »
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has become a valued public resource. Are there also challenges? Currently, there is no parking to serve the portion of the rail trail ...
www.wickedlocal.com/.../Questions-about-the-Bruce-Freeman...
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail: Use. Ma n. Bruce Freeman Rail Trail: Discussion of Parking r of Land. Dire cto r. Multi-Boards Meeting. August 31, 2011. W estford ...
westfordma.gov/Pages/...EngDept/.../SlidesforBFRTmtg.pdf
Greenman-Pedersen Inc. on board for Bruce Freeman Rail Trail design! Advisory Committee schedules site walks. Greenman, Pedersen, Inc. has been hired to ...
www.concordma.gov/pages/.../BFRTAC_sitewalks2011_GPI.p...
Greenman, Pedersen, Inc. has been hired to complete the design of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trailin Acton and Concord.
www.wickedlocal.com/.../Site-walks-set-along-Bruce-Freeman...
Patch.com
Following a heated recent multi-board meeting regarding potential parking lots in parcels near theBruce Freeman Rail Trail in Westford, plans to move the ...
And that announcement this week by Selectman Richard P. Chabot might prompt some to say, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Two months ago, abutters to the 4-mile spur from Connie Mack Drive in East Brookfield to Quabaug Corp. on Grove Street complained to selectmen about the actions of the North Brookfield Rail Trail Committee and about an increase in illegal, all-terrain vehicle and dirt bike activity.
“Frankly, I'd rather have the trains,” said one frustrated abutter.
Mr. Chabot said the North Brookfield Railroad Co., whose board of directors includes the three members of the Board of Selectmen and local lawyer Blaise P. Berthiaume, is about to reach an agreement with an unnamed local company to restore track infrastructure, with the intent of restoring freight service to companies along the rail line.
In an interview yesterday, Mr. Chabot said, “We have a strong commitment from a company that owns locomotives and rolling stock and is willing to restore the tracks. We've got a $5.5 million commitment to restore freight service to North Brookfield.”
Selectmen said restoring the tracks would be a significant catalyst in boosting economic development in town.
“The rail company we're working with knows of seven or eight companies that would be interested in relocating to North Brookfield to take advantage of rail service,” he said.
The Riverside Station development team, BH Normandy, is ready to meet with the community again and present their fourth proposal for the Riverside Station site. Working with our Ward 4 aldermen, a community meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, October 6th, at 7pm in the Williams School auditorium. Please mark this date on your calendar. More information will be forthcoming.
BH Normandy filed an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for development of the Riverside Station site in June. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs received 25 comment letters from State agencies, the City of Newton, non-profit organizations, abutters, residents and the RSNC. The RSNC has posted the State’s response on our website and we will post several of the comment letters to our email list over the next few days.
We hope to see you on October 6th!Lynne Sweet lsw...@riversidestation.info
Bill Renke bre...@riversidestation.info
Co-chairs
Riverside Station Neighborhood Coalition
| Knowing the rules aids peaceful coexistence for bikes, cars Boston Globe The launch of Boston's Hubway bike-sharing system in July means motorists will be sharing the roads with even more cyclists. By Peter DeMarco When it comes to driving in and around Boston, is there a more polarizing subject than bicycling? ... See all stories on this topic » |
Recently I had my first opportunity to test out the new Hubway bicycle rental system and answer the question that's been on everybody's mind: are these bikes an ...
mitchblum.com/2011/09/10/hubway-bicycles/
Bike-share system to roll out on New York City streets
By Andrea BernsteinNPR's Marketplace, Wednesday, September 14, 2011
NYTimes: In Praise (Mostly) of Bike Trails
|
How Dangerous is Sen. Coburn's Amendment to Kill Bike/Ped Funding? Streetsblog Capitol Hill (blog) Ever the gentleman, Coburn had his office contact the Rails-to-Trail Conservancy, a principal supporter of Transportation Enhancement funding, since rail-trails are one of a dozen uses for the funds. Coburn's office let RTC know that the senator would ... See all stories on this topic » |
The 12 programs that make up Transportation Enhancements. Source: National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse
|
|
NYC DOT Wants Your Help to Decide Where Bike-Share Stations Will Go
A sample map from bike-share operator Alta Bicycle Share shows how dense the bike-share network might be in Midtown. The specific locations still need to be worked out, and DOT wants extensive community input to decide where. Image: Alta
The Economist: With a very few exceptions, America is no place for cyclists
DYING while cycling is three to five times more likely in America than in Denmark, Germany or the Netherlands. European cities have knitted together networks for everyday travel by bike. To start with, motor vehicles allowed near cyclists are subject to “traffic calming”. They must slow down to about 19mph, a speed that, in case of collision, kills less than 5%. Police strictly enforce these speed limits with hefty fines. Repeat offenders lose their licences.Sep 12, 2011 -- Business Week
When governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation aren't worth the cost, says Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Independent retailers also suffer.
» http://www.planetizen.com/node/51302
Sep 12, 2011 -- The Michigan View
Bill Johnson says that Detroit would do well to remember 1987's People Mover, which cost 7 times more than projected and has never reached its expected ridership.
» http://www.planetizen.com/node/51296
Sep 13, 2011 -- SC Times
According to Kari Petrie, a highly popular Complete Streets measure in St. Cloud, Minnesota couldn't get a majority of votes from the City Council.
» http://www.planetizen.com/node/51312
Sep 13, 2011 -- The New York Times
Janette Sadik-Khan, transportation commissioner, gets unfettered praise in a New York bike lane. Frank Bruni looks at the significant legacy she has already built.
» http://www.planetizen.com/node/51310
The Northern Rail Trail runs from Lebanon to Grafton for 23 miles, heading southeast towards Concord. Another section continues from Andover to Franklin ...
www.onenewengland.com/article.php?id=370
|
|
Walkway Named to World's Coolest Pedestrian Bridges
By Andrew Ratner
We were impressed by the sheer number of users of the Western Maryland Rail Trail that runs through Hancock. The local bicycle shop near the trail had a constant flow of trail riders coming through its door and nearby restaurants had ...
Smart Growth Maryland
SAVE THE DATE!
1st Annual Massachusetts Trails Conference
“Building Connections”
November 12, 2011
The Trustees of Reservations’ Doyle Conservation Center
Leominster, MA
The Massachusetts Recreational Trail Advisory Board (MARTAB) in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Trustees of Reservations presents the 1st Annual Massachusetts Trails Conference to be held on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster. The conference is funded through the Recreational Trails Program, supporting motorized and non-motorized trails across the Commonwealth.
The goal of this one-day conference is to build a statewide-based coalition of trail advocates in Massachusetts by focusing on strengthening capacity and community across the spectrum of trails enthusiasts and supporters. Concurrent sessions in the morning focus on building capacity through education and discussion of issues like funding, permitting and economic impacts. The afternoon’s more participatory workshops will focus on strengthening community, as we celebrate, share and plan for the future of trails in Massachusetts.
An opportunity to register and the conference agenda will be announced at the end of September. If you are not on our contact list, please contact Amanda Lewis, Recreational Trails Program Coordinator for DCR, atamanda...@state.ma.us to be added and receive conference updates and registration information. Hope to see you there!