Health & Fitness
The Greenway is coming!
The Greenway is coming to Stoneham! Just like the Red Sox Curse of the Bambino ending in 2004, the Greenway will be built. It won't be long before residents are relaxing on their way down the Greenway.
The Greenway is coming to Stoneham! When I repeat that phrase, I am greeted with excitement and skepticism. Excitement because the residents of Stoneham will get a valuable resource and skepticism because it has been 30 years. Just like the Red Sox Curse of the Bambino ending in 2004, the Greenway will be built. Progress over the last two to three years has increased significantly. The design drawings are now in final review by MassDOT. This is the last big hurtle before the construction is scheduled to begin late next year.
Let's take a quick step back for a second. In case you are new to Stoneham or it’s just been too long to remember, the Greenway is a 6.5 mile multi-use trail that starts in Recreation Park in Stoneham, and runs through Woburn and Winchester all the way to Wedgemere station.. It also has a spur off to Horn Pond in Woburn. This provides miles of safe areas for children to play or go to school along with access to many parks along the way. The trail also goes right by our local businesses so you can stop for a drink or ice cream if you want a treat. From Wedgemere, walkers and bikers can follow the Mystic Valley Parkway to the Minuteman and other trails leading into Cambridge and Boston or west towards Bedford.
Find out what's happening in Stonehamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The term "multi-use" is an official state term for a trail that is wide enough for all modes of non-vehicular transportation. The goal is for joggers and walkers to co-exist comfortably with baby carriages and bicycles. At 16 feet wide, the trail is much wider than the Minuteman Trial from Cambridge, allowing for easy and safe passing. The trail will also be ADA compliant, with gentle slopes and a 10-foot paved center section so that all can enjoy it. For most of Stoneham, because the Greenway is on a 49-fooot wide railroad right-of-way, the trail is much wider than 16 feet, allowing for a green “linear park.” This is truly a resource for everyone in all three towns.
Find out what's happening in Stonehamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Back to the construction. Why will it be built now? We have been talking about this for years. The biggest change is the $5.5M in federal and state funding as part of the Massachusetts Transportation Improvement Plan or "TIP" for short. The TIP funding was allocated last year and remains in place this year. This is great news for the Greenway as only a small amount of the TIP money is allocated for alternative transportation projects. This means the Greenway will cost the town no money to build! In addition to the funding, MassDOT has accepted the "75%" drawings for review. This is the last step in their process prior to approval.
With all the activity and meetings around the trail, it’s easy to see the Greenway is coming. MassDOT is confident enough to set a shovel ready date of December 2014. As residents of Stoneham, Winchester or Woburn, we should be excited to have this resource come to town. If you want to learn more as it happens, go to www.tricommunitygreenway.org and sign up for the email list.
