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Friends
of the
Community Path
112 Belmont St., #2
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 776 7769
friendspath@yahoo.com
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Friends
of the Community Path Press Page
The following resources are available for your use. Our spokesperson
is Lynn Weissman who can be reached at (617)776-7769 or weisswoman18@hotmail.com
Background,
History and More Contact Info
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The Friends are a local community group dedicated
to the idea of extending the so-called "Bike Path" from Davis Square,
through Somerville, to the Charles River and beyond.
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The official website for publication is www.PathFriends.org.
Donations and volunteers are welcomed.
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The Friends work closely with the City of
Somerville Office of Housing & Community Development; our
contact is Jeff Levine 617-625-6600 x2520. Any residents with
concerns or ideas about the path are encouraged to contact
us, or Jeff Levine at the City.
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- In the fall of 2000, the City of Somerville commissioned a
feasibility study. Copies can be found at the website of the
Somerville
Bicycle Committee: 617-625-6600 x2503
- The Friends of the Community Path formed on May 31st, 2001
after the publication of the feasibility study.
Our Approach
The Friends of the Community Path are working to inform every
resident of Somerville about the path, and collect community
feedback. The Friends will use this feedback to monitor the
path design process, helping to ensure the path design meets
the needs and desires of the community.
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The Friends have held four major public community
meetings, and several small meetings. We have participated
in numerous community events (such as ArtBeat and Tour de
Somerville), sent postcards to absentee property owners, canvassed
door-to-door, and organized cleanup events.
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The existing path is well used & loved. We
don't have use figures, but if it gives you any idea, we did
get 300 path users to take a flyer during a single hour of
morning rush.
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We call it a Community Path, not a bike path,
because most of the existing path users don't use bikes on
the path.
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The Friends have collected dozens of support
letters from local organizations & businesses, and hundreds
of support pledges from local residents. Somerville Mayor
Dorothy Kelly Gay is a firm path supporter.
Our Somerville neighbors have reacted very positively
to the path ideas. So far, all concerns raised are issues we feel
can be fully addressed in the design of the path extension. At
meetings we bring up all common path development fears (Property
crime, violent crime, property values, privacy, dog poop, nasty
bicyclists, cutting down trees, etc.) to ensure they can be debated
and weighed. The vast majority of participants have expressed
that the large benefits of the path outweigh its modest costs.
Path Design Facts
- The railroad tracks run in a deep trench for most of the way.
The proposed path, however, would run beside the trench with
much of the path elevated, not down with the rails. Path
alignments are part of the MBTA's Green Line planning process.
- The length of the proposed path is 2 1/4 miles (In Cambridge
the path becomes the North Point development, which has a matching
path planned).
- There are 450 landowners of parcels immediately adjacent to
the proposed path, and we are conducting outreach to all of
them through door knocking and hand-delivering invitations to
our community meetings.
- The proposed path crosses the property of 5 landowners. 3
landowners are path supporters, the other 2 are openly considering
the proposal.
- The largest landowner is the MBTA, which is evaluating the
feasibility of permitting the path at a staff level. The contact
is Mark Boyle, Director of Real Estate, 617-222-3255.
- The path connects to three of Boston's four subway lines (Red,
Green & Orange) and comes within easy walking distance of North
Station. By providing an attractive path we help the MBTA leverage
its considerable investment in public transit stations.
- The feasibility study estimates construction cost at $1.55M
(about the cost of a bridge). However, the path as proposed
shares some expensive infrastructure with the proposed Green
line, that money is not included in the figure above.
The Big Picture
The path is a complex affair for the MBTA. The proposed
path crosses through an area that needs to support two Commuter
rail lines, the Boston Engine Terminal, the Urban Ring and the
Green Line extension. We feel it can all work out.
Graphics and
Photos for Download
-The Friends of the Community Path
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