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MAPC NORTH MAP (MetroWest, Minuteman, North Shore, North Suburban)
MAPC SOUTH MAP (Inner Core, South Shore, SouthWest, Three Rivers)
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MAPC North Shore And North SuburbanThe following proposals and descriptions of existing facilities in the northern MAPC subregions have been submitted to the bicycle facilities inventory. Existing facilitiesThe North Shore and North Suburban area has roads of varying quality for bicycling. There are also a number of designated bicycle facilities. Minuteman Commuter Bikeway Completed in the early 1990’s, this path extends from Arlington to Bedford. The Lexington and Bedford segments are in the North Suburban subregion. Lexington bicycle routes and paths The Town of Lexington has several designated shared roadway bicycle routes and off-road paths. Lexington also has designated bicycle lanes along Worthen Road between Waltham Street and Bedford Street. Salem bicycle paths Salem has recently completed a pathway on an abandoned railbed. Others are under construction or proposed. Aberjona River Bikeway Winchester has several segments of pathways along the Aberjona River. Ferry service Ferries which accommodate bicyclists travel between Gloucester and Boston, and between Gloucester and Provincetown, during the summer tourist season. Proposed projectsThe following proposals have been submitted to the bicycle facilities inventory. Rail-Trail proposals Several organizations and individuals have proposed rail trails in the region: North Shore Bikeways rail-trail proposals The North Shore Bikeways Coalition has developed an ambitious vision of rail trails (see section of report on Merrimack Valley) whose southern segment connects Peabody and Salem with the Minuteman Bicycle Path and into Boston. Many of the same rail-trail suggestions have been made by other organizations, by city and town officials and by individuals as well. Minuteman Trail extensions and spurs Several proposals would connect the Minuteman path with employment areas including Hanscom Air Force Base; with Billerica; and with the Minuteman National Historical Park. Town bikeway projects Several towns, notably Reading, Lexington, Winchester and Marblehead, have submitted plans for local systems of bikeways. Salem has such a system, but it is already under construction and therefore does not need to be evaluated for priority of future construction. Reading’s proposal is notable in that it offers a connection across Route 93 to the proposed new rail station in Woburn. Unfortunately, it was submitted too late to be included in the public process for this inventory. Road improvements Improvements to streets and highways were suggested by a number of individuals including Mr. Emmett Halpin of Wakefield. (See Merrimack Valley section of report.) Several proposals for bikeway systems included long segments on roads. Mr. Halpin’s own recommendations for the Haverhill Street/Jenkins Road/Boston Street corridor in Reading and North Reading fall into this category. Other examples are: Recommendations of Robert Sawyer of Lexington for local bicycle routes on streets; North Shore Bikeways Coalition suggestions for a bicycle route between Danvers and Gloucester mostly using Route 127; also an on-road connection between Danvers and Arlington which might incorporate the Reading proposal described above. Suggestions were received for bikeways using Route 133 and several connecting roads in Ipswich. Cross-state bicycle routesSee the section of this report on cross-state routes for more detail on the following routes: The coastal east-west route passes from southwest to northeast through the MAPC North region. The northern east-west route follows the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway through Lexington. |