community path – Belmont Citizens Forum

How Rail Trails Can Serve Public Housing

Dec 172025

How Rail Trails Can Serve Public Housing

Drake Village, Arlington, and Lessons from Across the Northeast By Jeffrey North & Vincent Stanton, Jr. Development of the Belmont Community Path is proceeding in two phases. Phase I is close to the 100% design threshold. Planning for Phase 2, which will run from the Clark Street Bridge to the Waltham border, started in late 2022 when the town hired Pare Corporation and Toole Design. The Pare team studied the route options during winter and spring 2023 and recommended a final route to the Community Path Project Committee (CPPC) in May 2023 (see “Belmont Community Path Route Take Shape, BCF [READ MORE]

Town Meeting OK’s Community Path Right of Way

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, November/December 2025, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Oct 312025

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. On October 22,Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to approve two warrant articles that clear the way for the town to assemble the right of way (ROW) for the community path. Article 5 authorizes the Select Board to acquire the land necessary for the community path. That land totals 265,805 square feet, and most of it is owned by public or nonprofit entities: 45.2% by the MBTA, 40.3% by the Belmont Citizens Forum, and 8.9% by the Town of Belmont. The Belmont Citizens Forum has communicated to the town its intent to donate the 107,172 square foot parcel [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Hits Major Milestone

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, November/December 2025 Comments Off

Oct 312025

Belmont Community Path Hits Major Milestone

By Holly Muson and Jeffrey North On September 10, the design team led by Nitsch Engineering delivered the 75% design submission to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). This submission marks a significant step forward for Phase I of the Belmont Community Path. The 75% design stage means that detailed plans are now largely complete. The submission covers alignment, grading, drainage, fencing, landscaping, and structural components such as the underpass, retaining walls, and other supporting features. This level of design provides MassDOT with the comprehensive materials needed to move the project toward final review, permitting, and construction. With this milestone, [READ MORE]

New Connections Coming to Mystic Greenways

Environment, July/August 2024, Newsletter, Open Space Comments Off

Jun 252024

New Connections Coming to Mystic Greenways

By Isaiah Johnson It’s a great time to enjoy Greater Boston’s parks and paths as we head into the middle of summer. Whether you walk, bike, or run, the Mystic Greenways are great places to get outside and enjoy fresh air. At the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), we are excited to see the path network along the Mystic River grow more connected every year, linking parks and greenways from the Mystic Lakes to Boston Harbor. The vision behind the Mystic Greenways is to connect 25 miles of paths, improve hundreds of acres of parklands, and engage thousands of community [READ MORE]

BCF Asks Path Experts Three Questions

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

To prepare for the upcoming Design Public Hearing on Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path, the BCF asked three Community Path experts about what they think about the Community Path project today. We spoke to Mark Paolillo, Select Board member; Holly Muson, chair of the Community Path Project Committee; and Will Brownsberger, Massachusetts state representative. BCF Since you succeeded Russ Leino as chair of the Community Path Project Committee (CPPC) last year, you have had a ringside seat as this project advances. What has most surprised you about the mechanics of advancing the project? Are there lessons from Phase [READ MORE]

MassDOT Rep Discusses March 7 Path Hearing

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

MassDOT Rep Discusses March 7 Path Hearing

By Jarrod Goentzel The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will be hosting a Design Public Hearing on Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path on Thursday, March 7, at 7PM at the Beech Street Center Multipurpose Room, 266 Beech Street, Belmont. You can watch the meeting at home on Belmont Media Center GovTV, Ch 8 Comcast or Ch 28 Verizon, or belmontmedia.org/govtv. Visit www.mass.gov/orgs/highway-division/events for more information. The project consists of a new paved shared-use path along the Fitchburg Commuter Rail and a new concrete underpass beneath the railroad tracks at Alexander Road to provide a connection from Channing Road [READ MORE]

What’s in a Name? Walking and Biking

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, January 2024, Newsletter Comments Off

Jan 032024

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. Data from various retrospective observational studies show that bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure enhance residential property values (reviewed in the article “Impact of Bike Facilities on Residential Property Prices” and in Chapter 6 of the Belmont Community Path Advisory Committee report). However, some of the most persuasive evidence comes from the simple observation that real estate agents—who are paid to market properties effectively and knowledgeable about what works—consistently mention paths when they are nearby. The easiest way to measure that practice is to scan the 100 to 150 word property descriptions near the top of listings. An [READ MORE]

Community Path Could Have Bridge, Box

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, January 2024, Newsletter, Transit Comments Off

Jan 032024

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. Last May, the consultants hired by Belmont to design Phase 2 of the Belmont Community Path (extending from the Clark Street Bridge to the Waltham border) recommended a final route to the Community Path Project Committee (CPPC), which endorsed the recommendation and sent it on to the Select Board (see “Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape,”September/October 2023 Newsletter, for details). The Select Board asked for more details on the right of way, which is the focus of current work. The Pare Corporation-Toole Design team proposed two audacious Phase 2 design choices: a new bridge over the [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Newsletter, September/October 2023, Transit Comments Off

Sep 012023

Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. How should the Belmont Community Path get from the Clark Street Bridge to Waverley Square? How might it cross Waverley Square? How should it connect to residential neighborhoods? These and related questions have been under study for Phase 2 of the Belmont Community Path. In December 2022, Belmont hired Pare Corporation and Toole Design Group to design Phase 2, which extends from the Clark Street Bridge to Waverley Square. Amy Archer and Kathleen Fasser, the project leaders of the Pare-Toole team, led the 2016–2017 Belmont Community Path feasibility study, and more recently designed the Waltham segment [READ MORE]

MBTA Rethinks Tunnel Construction

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, July/August 2023, Newsletter Comments Off

Jun 302023

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The MBTA recently changed its position regarding the preferred construction method for the new tunnel under the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line at Alexander Avenue. Now the plan is to use “cut and cover” construction rather than tunnel jacking. The change will lower the cost of constructing the Belmont Community Path by an estimated $5 million, shorten the construction timeline, reduce the construction footprint, and be less disruptive for nearby residents, the Belmont middle-high school community, and Fitchburg Line riders. The cut and cover approach will also permit a wider tunnel, which is preferable given the anticipated [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Phase 1 Funded

January/February 2023, Newsletter Comments Off

Jan 032023

By Jarrod Goentzel and Sara Smith The Belmont Community Path is becoming a reality. Full funding was secured for Phase 1 construction. Phase 1 includes the MBTA underpass from Alexander Avenue to the Belmont Middle and High School campus. Design is underway for Phase 2 that completes Belmont’s two-mile segment of the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT), which will eventually connect Boston and Northampton via 104 miles of off-road paths. The Belmont Community Path will help fill a critical gap along the MCRT as construction east and west of Belmont actively moves forward. Belmont’s TIP Funding This spring the Belmont [READ MORE]

Letters to the Editor: Belmont Hill Plans, Bike Trails

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Climate Change, Environment, November 2022, Open Space, Parking, Plants Comments Off

Oct 312022

To the Editor: New England in the fall is renowned for its beauty—the trees are blazes of color, birds, squirrels, and other animals are busily preparing for winter, and the occasional whiff of woodsmoke floats in the air. Driving up Prospect Street, one is met with the pleasant sight of the pristine lawns and stately brick buildings of the Belmont Hill School—a self-described educator of “men of good character,” where “boys are expected to collaborate and become part of something larger than themselves.” Which is why it’s such a shame that the Belmont Hill School is apparently ignoring its own [READ MORE]

Mass Central Rail Trail Continues Expansion

Newsletter Comments Off

Jun 202022

Mass Central Rail Trail Continues Expansion

By John Dieckmann Progress continues on the Wayside section of the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) from I-495 to Boston. Two paved segments were recently completed: five miles, from the Waltham-Weston town line to Route 20 in Wayland at Russell’s Garden Center, and approximately three miles from Brighton Street in Belmont to Lowell Street in Somerville. In addition, two major segments are under construction. The Somerville-Cambridge section being constructed along with the Green Line Extension will open in late summer and will complete the MCRT from Brighton Street to Boston in the vicinity of the TD Garden. Construction has [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Costs Explained

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, May/June 2022, Newsletter Comments Off

May 082022

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The Belmont Community Path is approaching an important milestone—a potential construction funding decision by the Boston region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Although municipalities, including Belmont, are responsible for funding path design and for securing the path right of way, state and federal governments fully fund path construction via the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Construction costs are generally about 85% of total project costs. TIP funds are allocated to cities and towns in the greater Boston area via a competitive process administered by the Boston MPO, which receives about 80% of its budget from the federal highway [READ MORE]

Cochituate Rail Trail Shows Success

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, July-August 2021, Newsletter Comments Off

Jun 252021

By John Dieckmann After we published an article on rail trails in our January newsletter (“Bikeway Building Booms Beyond Belmont”), well-known cycling advocate and expert John Allen pointed out that we didn’t include the Cochituate Rail Trail in Framingham and Natick. Since then, I have had the time to ride this trail and write this update. The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) runs from the village of Saxonville in Framingham to the Natick Center commuter rail station along the right of way of the abandoned Saxonville Branch Rail Line. It is the culmination of advocacy dating back to the early 2000s. [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Moves Forward

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, July-August 2021, Newsletter Comments Off

Jun 252021

By Sara Smith, Jarrod Goentzel, and Eric Batcho Momentum is picking up again for the Belmont Community Path, a critical two-mile link in the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT), a safe, off-road path that will ultimately link communities between Boston and Northampton. The 25% design is nearing completion, and the town has appropriated funds to begin securing the right of way. Both of these steps move Belmont closer to obtaining state and federal construction funds and bringing the path to fruition. Community path 25% design phase The town’s contractor, Nitsch Engineering, will complete the 25% design of Phase 1 in [READ MORE]

Mass Central Rail Trail Comes Closer

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, May-June 2021, Newsletter Comments Off

May 042021

By John Dieckmann When completed, the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) will run from North Point Park in Cambridge to downtown Northampton, a distance of 104 miles, following the abandoned right of way (ROW) of the former Mass Central Railroad. The MCRT has been a long-time work in progress, with some segments completed, others in the works, and others yet to be pursued seriously. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently completed a feasibility study of the western part of the MCRT covering 68.5 miles from the Amherst-Belchertown border to Hudson. The area east of Hudson through to Waltham has been [READ MORE]

2021 Select Board Candidate Answers BCF Questions

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Board of Selectmen, Climate Change, Environment, March/April 2021, Newsletter, Open Space, Select Board, Sewers, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality Comments Off

Mar 012021

2021 Select Board Candidate Answers BCF Questions

Each year, the Belmont Citizens Forum asks Select Board candidates questions about issues facing our town. This year, Mark Paolillo, who is running unopposed, provided answers. He was limited to 1,200 words. Describe your vision for preserving and enhancing Belmont’s quality of living, learning, working, and connecting. Preserving and enhancing Belmont’s quality of life must begin with making town finances stable and sustainable. This will require a more in-depth approach to long-term structural reform. Belmont should consider the use of performance management budgeting which measures resource input against the resulting output of services for each department. That will help us [READ MORE]

Bikeway Building Booms Beyond Belmont

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Environment, January 2021, Newsletter, Open Space Comments Off

Dec 302020

By John Dieckmann. Photos by John Dieckmann In January, biking might not be on too many people’s minds, but with spring only a couple of months away, this seems like a good time to take stock of the regional rail trail network. The Belmont Community Path is a short but essential link in the long distance Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT), which connects to several other rail trails in its 104 miles from Northpoint Park in Cambridge, near the Science Museum, westward all the way to Northampton. This update covers the roughly 30 miles of the MCRT and connecting trails [READ MORE]

Community Path Proponents Offer FAQ

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Newsletter, November 2020, Traffic Comments Off

Nov 062020

By Sara Smith, Eric Batcho, and Jarrod Goentzel What is the Belmont Community Path? The Belmont Community Path is a proposed shared-use path running just over two miles through Belmont along the former Central Massachusetts Railroad line connecting Cambridge and Waltham. It is a critical link in the 104-mile Massachusetts Central Rail Trail (MCRT) between North Station and Northampton. See a map and more details on the MCRT at www.masscentralrailtrail.org/interactive-google-map. Who is it for? The shared-use path is for a wide variety of non-motorized users, including walkers, runners, bicyclists, roller skaters/bladers, wheelchair users, and people walking dogs on leashes or [READ MORE]

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