Proposed Metro Boston Bikeways and Trails

Alewife Brook Bikepath

The DCR is once again looking at building a bikepath in the Alewife Reservation along Alewife Brook, on the stretch where it forms the border between Cambridge and Somerville and Arlington, paralleling 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 Community Path in Somerville is organizing community support for this path.

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.

Bruce Freeman Trail

The 25-mile Framingham & Lowell Railroad right-of-way is being converted into a multipurpose rail trail. Phase 1, a 7-mile stretch that runs from Cross Point Towers in Lowell under Route 3 through Chelmsford Center and into Westford near Route 225, has been funded and construction should begin in 2005 with completion estimated in 2006. The rail trail will consist of a 10-foot wide paved path with graded shoulders.

Phase 2, a 13-mile stretch that runs from Westford though Carlisle, Acton, Concord, and into Sudbury, will terminate at Route 20. In the past year, there has been a flurry of activities in Acton, Concord and Sudbury with preliminary engineering, environmental and design studies being performed on the rail trail. Some obstacles to overcome will be a lumberyard encroachment, a Route 2 crossing near the Acton/Concord town line and a new Assabet River bridge in Concord. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will connect with the Mass Central Rail Trail in Sudbury.

Phase 3, a 5-mile stretch owned by CSX Railroad, runs from Route 20 in Sudbury to Route 9 in Framingham. A CTPS feasibility study is being updated on this portion of the right-of-way. A group called Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has been incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) to provide support for the rail trail and has a web site at www.brucefreemanrailtrail.org.

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 projected rail trail utilizes the Saxonville Branch Line roadbed to create a thickly-wooded, multi-access linear park from the commuter-rail station in downtown Natick north along Lake Cochituate and to the day-use area of Cochituate State Park, plus car-free bike access past major highways to the very popular Natick Mall, Shoppers World and the Logan Express airport bus terminal in Framingham. The northern section, along the west bank of Cochituate Brook and up to Route 126 at the Sudbury River in Saxonville, will provide the same access from north of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Side branches will attach schools and other neighborhoods. Framingham is close to completing plans to open its 1.3 mile stretch, currently owned by the Mass. Turnpike Authority and the MBTA but already mostly prepared for trail use. A minor remaining rail use of Natick's longer section will be phased out by mid-2006; Natick and CSX are negotiating accordingly. The entire path promises a well-wooded 3.8 mile bike and walking trail through a very dense, high-speed highway network, with inter-community connectivity to parks, the major recreational lake in eastern Massachusetts, schools, shopping destinations, commuter rail, local, intercity and airport buses

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.

Minuteman Commuter Bikeway Extension

The Bedford Selectmen have expressed interest in extending the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway from its current terminus in Bedford to the Concord town line near Route 62. Concord's portion of the right-of-way is currently passable but not in good shape. Extension of the Minuteman Bikeway from Concord to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in West Concord on the old right-of-way faces major obstacles and will most likely require use of Route 62 as a connection.

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.

Mystic Crossing [web site with map]

Mystic Crossing's core mission is to increase the vitality of the Lower Mystic Basin through construction of continuous and accessible pedestrian and bicycle connection across the Amelia Earhart Dam. This would connect the Draw 7 Path and the Assembly Square area in Somerville with the future Bike to the Sea bikepath which will run from Malden to Lynn. Eventually, connections can be made to the Charles River Bikepaths and the future Somerville Community Path, too. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation received $250,000 to plan this connection in January 2004 from Exelon, the operator of the Everett power generating station, as part of an EPA penalty for polluting the air. Design work will begin by June 1, 2004, and will be completed within one year. The bike path will be completed and open to public by June 1, 2006.

Somerville Community Path [map]

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 City report is online in Acrobat format. The Friends of the Path are urging the City of Somerville to apply for a DEM Greenways Grant to start construction of the trail.
The feasibility study done by Rizzo Associates is online at Bike Rizzo.

Assembly Square/Mystic River Connection

The Somerville Office of Housing and Community Development is working with the Massachusetts Highway Department, the Metropolitan District Commission, and private developers in the Assembly Square area to design and build a bicycle and pedestrian connection along the Mystic River under the Wellington Bridge. This "undercarriage" connection would connect the Somerville-side Mystic River Reservation paths to Assembly Square and the existing Draw Seven Path. It would connect Somerville's entire riverfront. PDF plans are online.

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 [site] [photos] [ map]

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council conducted 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. The Town of Holliston has a website describing their portion, part of which is already a trail.

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 east 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. Acquisition from Alewife to School St. is currently being studied by the Massachusetts EOTC. The City of Watertown is planning construction from Grove to School Streets for Summer 2004.

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 current activity on this trail, click here or contact Dick Williamson at williamson@ll.mit.edu.