This past weekend, a group of 20 went on a three mile walking tour around the Assembly Row/East Somerville neighborhoods to learn from Deniz of the Friends of the Mystic to Charles group about the area’s upcoming improvements. Deniz covered topics like greenway improvements and connections to the Northern Strand Trail, the new Green Line Extension Community Path, the status of the Somerville Community Path, and more. This future Inner Belt Path would link the Mystic and Charles River path networks, supporting the vision of a united regional path network in Greater Boston. View the map below of the proposed connections indicated with the dashed green lines.
The tour started at Draw Seven State Park, historically named after a drawbridge of the same name, which once crossed the Mystic River and the future end location of the Northern Strand Trail, once the future Mystic River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is completed. Pictured here, at the corner of Sherman St. and Mystic Ave., we are learning of the proposed shared use path route which would run alongside the existing orange line from Assembly Row and Sullivan Square stations. We are also finding out that a new 480,000+ square foot mixed use building called 1 Mystic Avenue will consist of the demolition of existing structures occupying the site with up to 636 residential units.
Public benefits of the project include improving pedestrian and bicycle safety through enhanced connections to the Sullivan Square MBTA station, and providing public and visitor accessible bike parking. More information about this project can be found here.
Pictured here, at the bridge on Cambridge St, over the orange line tracks and underneath Interstate I-93, we are learning that new residential development is being proposed on property lots on either side of I-93 along Cambridge Street. The new proposed shared use path would run behind these new development buildings and connect to the Somerville Community Path.
We learned a great deal and are excited for the pedestrian and bicycle improvements to come!
MORE PHOTOS:
Photo captures and graphics by B2C Board Member, Pat Bibbins. Written by Program Manager, Agnes Recato