Extending the Minuteman Path
Among its plans for the extension of the Minuteman Bikeway from Cedar Street to Central Street, Somerville's Friends of the Community Path "is hoping to add a community garden or dog walk to the path."
Friends of the Community Path will present its plans June 15 at the 25% Design hearing, which is open to Somerville residents. . . . The 25% Design hearing will be held June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Visiting Nurses Assisted Living Community, 259 Lowell St., third floor (from a June 2 article by Jessica Barnett in the Somerville City News).
Dog owners are strongly encouraged to attend the presentation tonight to learn more and voice their support for the dog walk.
Comments
Stephen Winslow, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Somerville, and Ron Headrick, Vollmer Associates, presented the history and development of the project to extend the Minuteman Bikeway from Cedar Street to Central Street, and ultimately the Charles River at North Point on the Cambridge line, and discussed issues that may arise in the course of the project. Winslow emphasized that the project has not yet reached the "25% design" stage, at which point the Massachusetts Highway Department "evaluate[s] the proposed design relative to current design standards, right of way impacts, environmental impacts and other potential community concerns associated with the proposed design"prior to holding a public hearing (Mass Highway 25% Highway Design Review Checklist).
At the end of the presentation, Winslow and Headrick fielded audience questions and comments for about forty-five minutes. Much discussion focused on access and impact on abutters. A representative of Groundwork Somerville spoke with enthusiasm about the project, funded by a highly competitive grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a part of its Active Living by Design program. A partnership of six Somerville organizations won the grant to support efforts to address the problem of obesity in Somerville's schoolchildren and, more generally, to promote physical activity. Friends of the Community Path was also represented and stressed the importance of connecting the proposed path to existing community features, including Lexington Park, and suggested installing raised crosswalks for additional safety where the proposed path intersects Cedar and Central Streets.
One resident raised the issue that local dog owners walk their dogs on the abandoned rail line between Cedar Street and Central Street (the proposed site for the Community Path) and requested that the needs of Somerville dog owners be considered in the planning of the Path. A relevant point was raised following a question about what options are under consideration for dog owners: safety increases in public parks in which dog owners are allowed to bring their dogs.
Posted by: Canis Major | June 16, 2004 10:09 AM