4,4 million earmarked for Tri-community bike path
Published on November 29th, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - The proposed Tri-Community bike path leapt yet another step closer to reality last month after the state's Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) earmarked nearly $4.4 million for construction of the recreation area.
According to EOT documents posted on the state agency's website in October, the multi-million dollar appropriation will be available starting in FY' 2009. Approximately $3.5 million of that figure is slated to come from federal funding, while the state is expected to chip in just shy of $900,000.
Progress on breaking ground on the bike-path, which has been proposed to be laid-out along existing railroad-right-of-ways in Stoneham, Woburn, and Winchester, stagnated for more than a decade after initial planning sessions.
"The great news is it was finally approved for full federal and state funding," said Tri-Community bike path proponent Ken Pruitt, who advocated for years along with Highland Avenue resident Cameron Bain and a number of other parties for the recreations space.
"This project has been stalled for over 10-years waiting for a number of impediments to be removed," the Everett Road resident recalled. "And this bike path, which has overwhelmingly been endorsed by the people of Stoneham at a number of Town Meetings, is finally moving forward."
Last December, Bain excitingly revealed that the communities of Winchester, Stoneham, and Woburn had finally signed an agreement to proceed with the nature trails, and had chosen engineering firm Fay, Spofford, and Thorndike to draw-up initial renderings of the area.
The breakthrough occurred after local and state officials met with MassHighway to lobby for the recreation space, resulting in the state transportation agency, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Mass. EOT, agreeing to slate $480,000 towards the design.
"I'm particularly happy, because as I worked on this project, I certainly grew grayer and older, and developed some of the ailments that you see children getting today," an excited Bain recounted, upon learning of last December's movement on the project.
"In spite of the fact that it took ten years to get this thing approved, the bike path is no longer a luxury path for people to have fun on. This will become an important part of our health. And it's a real chance for us to improve the health of our children," the Highland Avenue resident furthered at the time.
The Town of Winchester was selected at that time to be the lead municipality on the project, and the renderings are expected to be available perhaps within the next year, according to Tri-Community bike path advocates familiar with the process.
According to Mass. EOT projected timelines, actual construction on the recreational trails is scheduled to commence in 2011, nearly two years after the earmarked monies become available for the project.
However, Bain is hopeful that site work will begin much earlier than that, as he believes that additional funding could be set-aside in the coming fiscal year.
"And I think there might be money in this current year that will be made available to us," said Bain, who wanted to thank State Senator Richard Tisei for his work on obtaining funding for the project. "The money is there. But right now we have our consultants and surveying teams together."
"We're in an exciting state," Pruitt added in a separate interview. "That may seem like a long-time [if we have to wait until 2011], but its been well over 10-years so far. So it's just so exciting that we're finally moving ahead."
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