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Councilor Bettencourt has made a motion to include a trail marking system along the Bikeway. This is a fine idea and probably should have been in the works the whole time. I do object to the characterization of the Bikeway, and frankly the entirety of the City of Peabody, as a dangerous place where harm is sure to come to people. Stuff happens everywhere, and Peabody is no exception. But this Bikeway is a wonderful addition to our community and it will be here for many generations to enjoy. Link to the Lynn Item story is here.
It seems like the progress on the new City Bike Path is well underway. But I would like to see MORE done to make this project complete.
From the Boston Globe North:
PEABODY
HOT ON THE TRAIL - Contractors recently began paving the planned Peabody bikeway, a multipurpose path that will extend along 4.6 miles of abandoned rail tracks from the Middleton line to the Lahey Clinic Medical Center at the Northshore Mall. The state Highway Department is overseeing the $3 million state and federally funded trail construction, according to Blair Haney, Peabody's assistant director of planning. The city funded the $170,000 cost of design and permitting through its Community Preservation Fund. Haney said crews are now placing an initial layer of asphalt along the trail. A top coating will then be added, probably after the winter. Mayor Michael J. Bonfanti plans to hold a contest among school children to choose a name for the trail that reflects the city's patriotism and the versatile use of the trail. -- John LaidlerI think it is wonderful that the City FINALLY got its act together and is building this community resource. There are naysayers who will complain that it does not cross Rt. 1 and Rt. 128 in special dedicated bike path only routes. But these special bike bridges or tunnels would have made the costs skyrocket and NOTHING would have ever been accomplished.
Besides... nothing is preventing the people using the new bike path to simply use the existing roadways to cross over both of these highways using regular old City streets.
I say this is simply another great City resource IF (as OG will chime in - and rightly so) the City will commit to MAINTAINING IT. I certainly hope they will.
Below are some maps of the Bikeway. The first is the current City plan. The second and third images are my thoughts about how to CONNECT the existing two sections TOGETHER as well as EXTENDING the Bikeway into Peabody Square and the River Walk.
click on any image for a large view
3 comments:
I love the bike path idea. I used to ride the path along side Lowell Street before it was an official "bike path". I'm looking forward to riding it again with a nice paved road beneath me. It doesn't really bother me that I cannot cross over or under route 1 or 128, I'm still riding, and that's the main point. I would love to see this go all the way into Salem as well. I don't understand all the negativity that this is getting. This is something that anyone and everyone can use if you so desire. You all complain about over-development, lack of open space, and poor vision by our leaders. Well this is something that allows us the opportunity to be outdoors in the open space, takes us through semi-secluded areas where we won't have to view a lot of the excess development going on, and came about through the efforts of people NOT in the city government. This is a wonderful resource, worthy of a few tax dollars, and I for one, will make the most of it and USE IT. The rest of you complainers can sit in the traffic. As far as the crime concerns go, I have been walking my dog and riding on the streets of Peabody for over 15 years and NEVER been so much as threatened by anyone. I don't expect anything different on the bike path. And it needs no name other than the Peabody Bike Path.
PI you must be on the outs with a lot of bloggers. 10 postings on this page and only 3 comments TOTAL. Two of which are about SF leaving, and they are on a post about Aggregate Industries. Personally, I like the looks of this blog and I find the postings just as pertinent as the ones on the Patriot. I guess you've made some enemies, eh? Keep pluggin'.
Thanks WGAF:
Well I can only do my best here and people will make up their own minds.
I could just begin to write some inflammatory stuff just to get people ticked off... but that is not my style.
Now, it seems people are visiting the site (60+ since yesterday afternoon), I just hope a few decide to participate here as well.
OG says...
OG has already spoken out in favor of this bike path as long as it maintained and the bordering vegetation is kept cut. ...but let me ask this ...are there safety concerns with the portion of the bike path that starts up by the Middleton line off Russell St that winds its way down to Hannaford Plaza? It seems that this is a very remote area and OG has to wonder if that is a concern to anyone out there?
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