Future Metro Boston Bikeways and Trails

Alewife Brook Bikepath

The MDC is once again looking at building a bikepath in the Alewife Re servation along Alewife Brook, on the stretch where it forms the border between Cambridge and Somerville and Arlington, parallelling the Alewife Brook Parkway. This would provide a connection between the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway and the Mystic River bikepath system, when that system is extended upstream past Medford Square. A study completed in 1993 was released in April of 1997, and it looks like public meetings may be happening in 2002 or 2003. The Friends of the Commutity Path in Somerville is organizing community support for this path.

Assabet River Rail Trail

A group of citizens is working to establish a 12.5-mile bike and pedestrian path on a long-abandoned railroad right-of-way paralleling the Assabet River through Hudson, Stow, and Maynard, with connections to Marlborough and the MBTA commuter rail station in South Acton. In 1998, all five communities started to acquire land for the trail.

As of October 2003, 1.25 miles of the trail are paved in Marlborough and 0.6 miles are graded in Maynard. Construction of the next 5 miles (all of Hudson and Marlborough) started in September 2003 and is scheduled to finish in 12 months.

Bike to the Sea (map)

A group of cyclists in Malden thought up this rail-with-trail bikepath from the center of Malden through Everett to Revere Beach . A preliminary feasibility study was undertaken in 1995. There are possible connections to the north and to the Mystic River bikepaths.

The City of Everett has applied for design money for the first phase of the Bike to the Sea path. This runs along a rail line that parallels the Malden River. The private developer of the old Monsanto property has committed to extend the path across that property. The developer has sought Bike to the Sea's assistance in connecting a road and the path to Route 99 near the Mystic Station Power plant at the Boston line. Even if the developer does not come through on the underpass, the path can easily go under the Salem MBTA line Mystic River bridge and connect to Route 99.

Central Mass. Rail Trail

West from the end of the proposed Wayside Rail Trail in Berlin, the Central Mass. Line, while in private hands, is mostly undeveloped and may be recoverable. There is a wonderful 1/4-mile tunnel in Clinton right above the Wachusett Reservoir Dam which could be the terminus of a 40-mile-long trail from Boston. This trail parallels US. 20 through Waltham, Weston, Wayland, and Sudbury, then heads northwest through Hudson and Berlin to Clinton. After the reservoir, the right-of-way continues across the middle of the state, south around the Quabbin Reservoir, to Amherst, where the Norwottuck Trail follows it to Northampton. Various groups are working on the sections of the right-of-way in their towns. West Boylston got a state greenway grant to develop a mile-and-a-half section.

Cochituate Rail Trail

This proposed rail trail would utilize the Saxonville Branch Line roadbed to give downtown Natick a recreational route north along Lake Cochituate and to the day-use area of Cochituate State Park, plus car-free bike access over major highways to the very popular Natick Mall. The northern extension, along the west bank of Cochituate Brook and up to Route 126 at the Sudbury River, would provide the same access from north of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Town of Framingham is working on plans for their 1.3-mile stretch, currently owned by the Mass. Turnpike Authority and the MBTA, but totally unused. Natick's section is seldom used, but has not yet been abandoned. The entire path would offer a 3.8-mile bike and walking trail through a very dense, high-speed highway network.

Dedham Rail-Trail

An abandoned rail line from the Readville station in Boston runs past the high school and almost to Route 1. Connections can be made to quite a bit of Dedham's greenspace from this right-of-way, and it is being considered as part of Dedham's Open Space Plan along with other bicycle amenities.

Bruce Freeman Trail

The Sudbury to Lowell section of the mostly unused Old Colony rail line from Framingham to Lowell is slowly being converted into a multi-use trail. Running through Sudbury, Concord, Acton, Westford, and Chelmsford, it will connect the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway Extension in Acton and the Central Mass. bikepath in Sudbury to the Merrimac River in Lowell. A preliminary study was done by the state Central Transportation Planning Staff in 1987. The project was on hold for years, until it was split into 2 phases. Phase 1, the 7-mile stretch from Lowell to Westford, is being designed in 1998. The status of Phase 2, the 15 miles from Westford to Sudbury, is less clear due to 3 obstacles: the Assabet River, Route 2, and an active rail section to a lumberyard. There may be sufficient support and funds to design the path to be 14 feet wide. The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments is the driving force behind this one. While construction money is ready, the state is balking at building an underpass under Route 3, which is being rebuilt in 2001.

Minuteman Commuter Bikeway Extension

The right-of-way used by the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway continues westward through Bedford and Concord to Acton. Problems include crossing Hanscom Field Air Force Base, the Assabet River (the bridge has been removed), and Route 2 (near the West Concord rotary). It would connect with the Lowell-Sudbury trail.

Minuteman Charles River Connector

Cathy Lewis of the state's Central Transportation Planning Staff is working with local governments and citizens to create formal connecting routes and paths between the end of the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway at Alewife Station in Cambridge and the Charles River bikepaths. Arlington and Cambridge are building the first part of this connector by extending the path, with its own bridge over the Little River/Alewife Brook, to Alewife Station. Construction began in the fall of 1997.

Somerville Community Path

The Community Path is a proposed linear park that would connect the existing bicycle/community path, which connects to the Red Line Linear Park and thus to the Minuteman Bikeway, from where it ends at Cedar Street to Lechmere and eventually to downtown Boston. It would go along the abandoned railroad right of way to Lowell Street; then parallel the railroad tracks at street level (along the embankment) to City Hall/Somerville High School; it would descend into the railroad right of way before the McGrath Highway and continue to Lechmere, separated from the Commuter Rail and future Green Line trains by a fence and a safe distance. Other routes are also under consideration. The official report is online in Acrobat format. The City has applied for a DEM Greenways Grant to start construction of the trail.

Tri-Community Bikeway (map)

This path through Woburn, Winchester, and Stoneham would connect the Mystic River, the Middlesex Fells, and the Bike to the Sea path, as well as much of the parkland in these three communities.

Upper Charles Trail (photos)

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is currently conducting a feasibility study for this trail which would run mostly on abandoned railroad rights-of-way through Framingham, Sherborn, Holliston, Milford, Hopkinton, and Ashland for at distance of 24 miles.

Watertown Branch Rail Trail

This not-yet-abandoned right-of-way runs from just behind the Fresh Pond Cinemas in Cambridge, past Fresh Pond through Kingsley Park, under Huron Ave and Mount Auburn St., past Mount Auburn Cemetery and on to Watertown Square est of and roughly parallel to Arsenal St. Other than the difficult crossing of Concord Ave., it could provide a traffic-free connection from the Minuteman Bikeway and Danehy Park bikepaths to the Charles River bikepaths in Watertown Square. With some creativity, it might be possible to make a connection near the Arsenal St. bridge as well. Acuisition from Alewife to School St. is currently being studied by the Massachusetts EOTC. The City of Watertown is considering the portion from School St. to Watertown Square. Public meetings are being held to discuss options.

Wayside Rail Trail

The MBTA owns the Waltham to Hudson section of the unused Central Mass. Line right-of-way, which runs from the Belmont border of Waltham to Northampton. On April 3, 1997, the state Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) released a preliminary feasibility study for a trail on 23 miles of this right-of-way from Waltham through Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, and Hudson to Berlin. By January 1, 1998, all of these towns except Weston approved the project. An inward extension through Belmont to Cambridge which would connect through the Fitchburg Cutoff Trail to the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway, Red Line Linear Park, and the MBTA Red Line Rapid Transit. To find out more about this trail, contact Andy Greene of the Wayside Rail Trail Committee at aggreene@msn.com or (617)893-6758.