Tomorrow: Help plan the Community Path extension, Cedar to Lowell St

[ron_newman]

Please share your design ideas for the the next section of the Community Path (Cedar St. to Lowell St.)!

Cedar St. to Lowell St. Community Path Design Site Visit and Meeting
Thursday, May 19
7:00pm - 8:30pm
VNA, 259 Lowell Street

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 5 Alderman Sean O’ Donovan invite all interested community members to attend a community meeting to discuss future design plans for the Community Path Extension from Cedar Street to Lowell Street. This next ~1/4-mile section will be designed over the next year and hopefully built by 2012.

The meeting will be begin with a site visit at 7:00pm at the Lowell Street Bridge, followed by a discussion at VNA. In case of inclement weather, the site visit will be canceled and the discussion at the VNA will begin at 7:00.

For additional information about the meeting please contact
Senior Planner Kathleen Ziegenfuss
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
617-625-6600 ext. 2519 - kziegenfuss@somervillema.gov

(event is also listed at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155524317847978 )

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

My dearest hope is that they put in an official dog run, so maybe a few of the people using the section next to Lexington park as an unofficial one will go there. I might even be inspired to go to the meeting and suggest it!

[ron_newman]

Please do. The city can't know that you want it unless you ask for it.

[kalimba21.livejournal.com]

I would assume the bike route will go through the newish "somerville junction" park which is, in fact, an official dog park.

[ron_newman]

The path in Somerville Junction Park will become part of the Community Path once it extends east of Lowell Street. However, Somerville Junction Park is not an off-leash dog run.

[inahandbasket]

Only 1/4mi? I guess it's a start.
I'm looking forward to extending it all the way to Lechmere.

[inahandbasket]

Oh hey, lookit that.
"To date, the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation (MassDOT) has agreed to fund -- as part of the Green Line Extension -- the design and some infrastructure construction of the Path from Lowell St. to Inner Belt (near Brickbottom)."

The last 1/3mi from Brickbottom to Lechmere has to happen separate from the green line extn as well.

[ron_newman]

This is the part that can be built now with little or no impact on the Green Line extension project.

[t-stop.livejournal.com]

Any idea how much "hope" is required for them to get this built by 2012?

We've been waiting / working with FotCP for a loong time now. I'd rather not get my hopes up if the project is going to stop progressing as soon as the next election cycle is over.

[ron_newman]

This extension has had to wait for a number of things over the years.

When the existing Community Path was built, the MaxPak factory still operated and received freight cars on a siding.

Once they closed, the city leaned on the MaxPak condo developers to remove the rails and ties at their own expense, in exchange for being able to use the right-of-way as a temporary road for demolition and construction vehicles.

The condo developers will soon build a new road up to the Lowell Street bridge, making their continued use of the Community Path right-of-way unnecessary and clearing the way for a path extension.