Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements in Lynn
Project #1 – MassDOT Funds Northern Strand Extension to Nahant
Riding to the beach is about to get a LOT better… Thanks to the support of B2C and our many partners and advocates, MassDOT announced a funding commitment for a continuation of the Northern Strand Trail as an off-street, raised two-way separated bike path all the way from Western Ave in Lynn to the Nahant Rotary. The $9.36 million project was added to the State Transportation Improvement Program and construction is slated to begin this fall!
Project #2 – Transformation of the Lynnway
Bike to the Sea has proposed a multiuse path (highlighted in green) along the eastern edge of the Lynnway from Market St through the rotary and onto the multiuse path that goes between Nahant Beach and the beach parking lots. While the Lynnway today is lined with huge car dealerships and strip malls, the City of Lynn has plans to transform the area into a mixed-use district that can capitalize on its proximity to the city’s waterfront.
Register for the Virtual Public Informational Meeting by MASS DOT about the design for this extension project on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 6:30pm!
Mystic River Bridge
In addition, DCR is completing the design and permitting of the Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge across the Mystic River from Somerville’s Assembly Square to Encore casino in Everett. State officials expect to finish the permitting and design process of the 800-foot bridge this summer. Construction funding has been set aside for bridge work to begin in the summer of 2023, with construction expected to take about two years. The expansion is necessary so that pedestrians can get to the riverside of the Orange Line tracks where the Somerville-end of the bridge connects.
The Bacon Property
This empty eight and a half acre plot of land located adjacent to the NST on the border of Saugus and Lynn (circled in red) was used as a staging site during the construction of the NST (highlighted in blue). With a half a mile of shoreline, it has potential to become a nature preserve. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, The Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation, the MassAudubon and Bike to the Sea are in the early discussions of redesign concepts.