MAPC Three Rivers and South Shore

The following proposals and descriptions of existing facilities in the southern MAPC subregions have been submitted to the bicycle facilities inventory.

Existing facilities

There are many lightly-traveled roads on the South Shore peninsular area and in the parts of the Three Rivers subregion farther from Boston. The barriers of the Neponset River, Route 128 and the Blue Hills Reservation impede travel between Boston and the southern MAPC area. There is commuter ferry service between Hull and Boston which accommodates bicycles.

Existing designated facilities are:

Norwood bicycle routes

Norwood has on-street bicycle routes designated in the 1970’s and with signage that is still maintained.

Needham bicycle routes

As a participant in the Metrowest bicycle map process, Needham has rated its streets for suitability as bicycle routes. However, no physical improvements have as of yet been made.

Hingham-Hull path

This is partially completed and runs adjacent to Washington Street, the main access route to the Hull peninsula.

Boston to Cape Cod bicycle route (Claire Saltonstall Bikeway)

The Boston end of the designated Boston to Cape Cod route, Massachusetts Bicycle Route 1, follows streets through Milton.

Proposed projects

Relatively few proposals were received from these subregions. Nonetheless, certain themes developed out of the input.

Town bicycle routes

A proposal for bicycle routes was submitted by a Medfield resident. The facilities in Medfield would include a bicycle path in the Town Forest, as well as a northeast-southwest route partly on roads and partly using a path. An individual contact submitted a plan for bicycle routes in Hull.

Through north-south routes

Several contacts pointed out opportunities for north-south connections. Proposed routes include the Neponset River Greenway, which extends from Castle Island in South Boston to Hyde Park, and the overlapping East Coast Greenway, which continues south into Rhode Island.

Access across Route 128

The severing of many streets by Route 128, and the cloverleaf intersections on the remaining heavily-traveled ones, were described as "major barriers" by several commenters. This problem may have some interesting solutions, because Route 128 is crossed by two "bridges to nowhere" which could potentially be developed into excellent bicycle facilities. The missing bridge on Greenlodge Street at the Route 128 rail station was also mentioned. Bicyclists may cross the tracks by carrying their bicycles up and down the stairs at the rail station; however, no through bicycle access exists here.

Cross-state routes

See the section of this report on cross-state routes for more detail on the following routes:

A spur of the southern east-west route passes through the region on its way into Boston.