BCRT update

Guest article at Boston.com -

Guest column: Rail Trail from Needham Heights to Newton

By Thomas Connors, Guest Columnist

Four years after proposing a rail trail spanning Newton, Needham, Medfield and Dover, the project is still slow, but finally picking up speed. The south section (Red Wing Bay at the Dover town line to Needham Junction) is being studied by a consulting firm, and town meeting will be asked to support leasing and construction. However, the fate of the North section, 1.1 miles from the Newton town line at the Charles River behind Staples to the new Senior Center at the MBTA Needham Heights commuter rail station, is still up in the air. Converting this section into a greenway will result in a low stress bicycle route between the towns of Newton and Needham, greatly increasing safety to bicyclists, and making an easy and safe walking path for our new Senior Center and residents of the expanded Wingate assisted living center on Gould Street. Residents of Evelyn Road will have a pleasant access to Needham Heights and Newton, for biking, walking with friends, family and dogs. Unfortunately, with the current state of affairs, this prime open space will turn into a wasteland consisting of unused, decaying rail tracks overgrown with weeds and various trash strewn around, as well as the arsenic from the rail ties seeping underground. In addition to the squandered recreational opportunity, the inaction on the North section will result in depressed neighboring property values as well as potential environmental hazard.

The good news is the recently released MAPC study of using the rail line as a bus bypass road to avoid congestion on Needham Street in Newton resulted in a conclusion that was cool to the idea of a bus sharing the narrow rail trail with walkers and pedestrians. Calling the proposed bus project “costly and challenging”, there was little to encourage the town of Needham to pursue a bus option rather than commencing active planning for a rail trail. Newton has engaged with Iron Horse, a New Hampshire-based non-profit, to construct their mile with a free or low cost surface in autumn of 2013. Iron Horse is ready, willing and able to proceed south from the Newton town line, constructing the free or low cost path simultaneous with Newton, also in the fall of 2013. Iron Horse can build the North section in Needham in 2013 while doing the section in Newton, thereby connecting the two towns with a linear bicycle and pedestrian greenway.

A few challenges remain, such as designing good safe road crossings at Gould and Webster Street, but the Needham DPW and Traffic Management Committee have long experience in road calming and traffic management. Engineering problems are their specialty and the traffic volumes are well within normal range for rail trail crossings, with many successful local examples of crosswalks and push-button light signals including the popular Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington.

The final challenge is the bridge over route 128, scheduled to be removed in 2016 as part of MassHighway’s Add-A-Lane project. However, MassDOT has repeatedly re-affirmed its commitment to replace the rail bridge and is waiting for the town of Needham to specify the purpose of the bridge. The MBTA has previously studied extending a Green Line spur from Newton to Needham Heights and found it prohibitively expensive and has not included it in their 30 year funding request. The recently released MAPC bus-bypass road study has removed bus traffic as a feasible use of the bridge, so the only remaining option is the most inexpensive – a bicycle and pedestrian linear park greenway rail trail bridge.

We urge the town of Needham to collaborate with Newton and MassDOT and the Needham Heights community to commence planning the rail trail, in particular to utilize Iron Horse to construct a basic free or low cost path in 2013, and submit a request for MassDOT to replace the existing bridge as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge several years from now when the Add-A-Lane project gets to that area of their project. Taking these steps is financially prudent and responsible, and will result in a safe low-stress crossing over route 128, for today’s residents and generations to come.

Thomas Connors is a cofounder of the Friends of the Needham Rail Trail Greenway and the Bay Colony Rail Trail Association. The Friends of the Needham Rail Trail Greenway is having their monthly meeting at 7:30 PM on Thursday March 28, at the Needham Public Library. Meetings are posted at http://www.NeedhamRailTrail.org and http://www.facebook.com/Needham.Rail.Trail everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

BCRT update

The Friends of Needham Rail Trail Greenway sent an email that updates the status of their efforts to create the Trail Bay Colony Rail Trail – see the email update here.

They always have great graphics, and this time they have great information too (projecting part of the Bay Colony Rail Trail as being built this year.

Friends of the

Needham 

Rail Trail Greenway

Dover & Needham to vote on BCRT

Reported from Tuesday’s four-town meeting on the Bay Colony Rail Trail -  Needham and Dover have town meetings the same day, May 6th, each of which now seem to be heading for rail trail related votes.

Needham Bank supports BCRT

Needham Bank Challenge, December 2012 On Track with the Bay Colony Rail Trail

The Bay Colony Rail Trail (BCRT) is the 7-mile long recreational path that traverses through the towns of Needham, Dover and Medfield.

Dear Friends, We’re delighted to announce that Needham Bank has offered another generous gift, along with a challenge, to support the Bay Colony Rail Trail Association (BCRTA). Needham Bank was among the first donors to step up and support the BCRTA in a major way when we first started our adventure. Because the bank is our local community bank – their folks work here and live here – they can see that a safe and beautiful rail trail would be a wonderful asset for all of us who live in the area. To help us to push ahead with the trail, Needham Bank has extended a challenge that kicks off on January 2, 2013: For every BCRT supporter who doesn’t currently have a checking account at Needham Bank and who chooses to open one, the Bank will donate $100 to the BCRTA.  Just mention this offer when you open your account. The numbers get quite impressive when you consider that we now have a couple thousand supporters. Eric Morse, VP at Needham Bank, explained, “We know that people don’t change banks every day, but for BCRTA supporters who are considering doing so in 2013, we hope you’ll consider Needham Bank.   With branches in Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Westwood and Medfield it’s a great way to show your support of BCRTA. If you’d rather not come into one of our branches, we’ll come to your office or home. It’s so easy to participate in this program. Please contact one of our Branch Managers to schedule an appointment.” For more on Needham Bank and its services, visit http://www.needhambank.com or call them at 781-444-2100. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year. Best regards, The BCRTA Board BCRT volunteers needed…  The Bay Colony Rail Trail needs help with several activities. Fundraising Project management Outreach to abutters and others Research & Documentation Marketing Communications North Segment Planning If you might be interested, you’ll have an opportunity to raise your hand and learn more at the Wednesday evening meeting. Or if you can’t make it to the meeting, drop us an email at baycolonyrailtrail@gmail.com and we’ll get you connected to the right people.

BCRT update

This email today from the Bay Colony Rail Trail group -

October 2012 On Track with the Bay Colony Rail Trail

The Bay Colony Rail Trail is the proposed 7-mile long recreational path that traverses through the towns of Needham, Dover and Medfield, from the Needham Junction commuter rail station to the Kingsbury Club in Medfield.

Dear Friends,Over the last few months, we’ve made more great progress toward building the Bay Colony Rail trail.  Thanks to your sustained commitment, here’s what we’ve achieved recently: Funding for Engineering Study In August, the Needham town officials responsible for the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds considered an application from the Bay Colony Rail Trail (BCRT) to fund a “conceptual planning and design study” of the Needham portion of the trail.  Approval for the application, which won the unanimous endorsement of the Needham Board of Selectman, will be voted on at the special Town Meeting late this month. The engineering study will consider parking, access, maintenance, bridge repairs and other issues that we’ll need to address in order to move forward. This engineering project follows the MBTA’s approval of a 95-year lease of the abandoned railroad right-of-way to BCRT for use as a rail trail.  Now each town along the route, including Needham, Dover and Medfield, must decide whether to accept the lease. To learn more about the CPA funding, and to show support for application, please consider attending an open forum at 7:30 pm on October 10th at the Public Services Administration Building on Dedham Ave. Broad support for BCRT Over the summer, we collected nearly 400 signatures from Needham residents in support of the BCRT.  Volunteers working at the RTS, NBA fair, and Farmers Market had a wonderful experience seeing the eager and enthusiastic support of our neighbors for our efforts. In another sign of support, a group of 15-20 braved a trek along the trail in June from Needham Junction to Red Wing Bay at the Charles River.  We learned that the trail, unattended, can get wildly over-grown! Funding authorized in Transportation Bond Bill With the support of State Representative Denise Garlick, the transportation bond bill recently passed on Beacon Hill includes authorization for $250,000 for a rail trail in the towns of Needham, Dover and Medfield.  If the funds are officially appropriated, this money can be used to support design, construction and on-going maintenance of the trail.  The bill also authorizes funding for several other rail trail projects throughout the Commonwealth. Denise Garlick has been a consistent supporter of the Bay Colony Rail Trail, which involves all three towns in her district. Input from Needham Abutters In order to understand the concerns of the residents who live adjacent to the proposed trail in Needham, local volunteers have begun hosting neighborhood gatherings for discussion on the trail, hosted by neighborhood supporters and facilitated by Bay Colony Rail Trail board members. These sessions provide valuable opportunities to talk about security, maintenance, hours of operation, and other concerns of abutters. Additional meetings will be conducted with abutters and others in the community to ensure that concerns are heard and addressed. If you are interested in hosting or attending one of the neighborhood gatherings, please contact us at baycolonyrailtrail@gmail.org Dover Rail Trail Meetings open meetings scheduled The Dover Rail Trail commitee has scheduled three meetings to hear ideas and concerns from Dover residents about the possibility of converting the train rails in Dover to a recreational path. The meetings are scheduled at the Library meeting room for September 27 – 7:00 – 8:30 PM, October 2 – 10:30 AM – 12:00 and October 13- 10:00 AM – 11:30. The purpose of the meeting is to hear what the community has to say. There will not be a formal presentation at this time. The Dover Selectmen have appointed a committee to explore the pros and cons of this project. The Dover Rail Trail Committee is contacting other towns that have had similar projects and following up on all of the questions and ideas raised by Dover residents. The committee wants to hear from all Dover residents who are interested in how this project will affect the town and its residents. They particularly want to hear from residents whose property abuts the tracks. BCRT issues considered by Norfolk Hunt Club The Nofolk Hunt Club has developed a useful list of questions for its members to consider on how the proposed BCRT will affect the community.  This list includes questions on parking, road crossings, maintenance, regulations and the trail surface. The Norfolk Hunt Club has been “an active proponent of creating, preserving and protecting open space and trails for recreational use” in Medfield and Dover for more than 115 years, Postive press coverage The BCRT has been covered in both the Needham Times and the Boston Globe recently.  The positive articles presented the overall plan, the endorsement of Needham Selectman John Bulian and included an interview with Tad Staley. Update on a neighboring trail project The City of Newton is planning to establish the Upper Falls Greenway, a mile-long linear park on the old right-of-way paralleling Needham Street.  For the last two years, the Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force has helped to build a coalition of neighborhood folks and elected representatives around the proposal.   Beginning last year, a coalition of volunteers collected over 800 signatures on a petition to establish the Greenway, which was then unanimously supported by the Upper Falls Area Council and local Aldermen at a public meeting in February. Great progress has since been made, with a working group of Aldermen, City officials, and local volunteers planning for the proposed Greenway conversion.  This spring, a community project removed trash and cleared overgrown brush from the right-of-way as part of the Newton SERVES volunteer effort.  The City of Newton is now reviewing the MBTA lease during October, with an eye toward construction beginning next spring. The most up-to-date information is available at www.upperfallsgreenway.org. Clarification on BCRT and the “Needham Rail Trail Greenway“ The BCRT has been working closely with Needham officials on converting the abandoned rail bed that runs from Needham Junction (near Roche Brothers), through Dover, and into Medfield.  At this time, at the request of Needham officials, the BCRT is not focused on the abandoned rail bed that runs from Newton, across Route 128, to the Needham Heights commuter station.  While the BCRT supports the vision of better, safer bike routes from Needham into Newton, our current priority is the Needham Junction to Medfield portion of the trail. Thanks as always for your great support. Happy trails, The Bay Colony Rail Trail team Please visit the FAQ section on the BCRT website for an overview of frequently asked questions and preliminary answers that reflect the current state of the research of study groups in all three towns.

Friends of the Needham Rail Trail Greenway

Email today from the Friends of the Needham Rail Trail Greenway with lots of information and links about what is going on with respect to the Bay Colony Rail Trail.  Needham has a special town meeting coming up on 10/29/12, and has two articles on its warrant about the Bay Colony Rail Trail.

BCRT meeting last night

The Bay Colony Rail Trail committee met last night, and I attended most of the meeting, until I excused myself to attend the continued ZBA hearing on the Gatehouse 40B on West Street.  These were the highlights that I heard =

• The state budget has $250,000 for the Bay Colony Rail Trail included, presumably inserted by Rep. Garlick. There was discussion on how that money would be accessed.
• A substantial anonymous donation has also been made to the BCRT.
• The cost to build the BCRT will run between $600,000 to $1.5 m., depending on the surface used.
• The iron available for salvage has a value of about $400,000.
• The committee plans a warrant article for the ATM in 2013.
• It was reported that the BCRT discussions were contentious at the Dover ATM, with some not wanting to even rebuild the bridge over the Charles River to Needham, so people could not get into Dover from Needham.  However, Dover’s strategic planning questionnaire demonstrated strong overwhelming town support for the BCRT if it does not cost the town any money.

BCRT lease approved by MBTA

The Boston Globe reported on Friday that the MBTA had voted, as expected, to lease for 99 years the old rail line to the three towns that are exploring whether to turn it into the Bay Colony Rail Trail.  The three towns, Medfield, Dover an d Needham, had written to the MBTA to ask whether the MBTA would lease the old right of way to them, and now each town must on its own decide whether it will accept the offer by the MBTA to lease the rail line.  Both Medfield and Dover have town committees looking at the issues invovled in developing the Bay Colony Rail Trail, and Needham has already established the Bay Colony Rail Trail as part of its master plan.

Dover ATM approves BCRT study

At is annual town meeting on Monday evening this week, Dover residents “overwhelmingly approved”  continued study of the Bay Colony Rail Trail, despite refusing to spend monies on two other recommended items, per an article on the Dover Patch -

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One of the most discussed articles of the evening was about spending $5,000 to study the feasibility of converting the Bay Colony railroad line into a rail trail. As has happened in many other communities, old rail beds are now being used as bike and walking trails. The article for a study in Dover was overwhelmingly approved.

Read more: Dover voters approve most of the articles at Town Meeting – Dover, MA – Dover-Sherborn Press http://www.wickedlocal.com/dover/news/x43412414/Dover-voters-approve-most-of-the-articles-at-Town-Meeting#ixzz1uTXAo05r

On being a selectman

Exchanged emails today with the chair of the Dover Board of Selectmen and the chair of the Medfield Rail Trail Study Committee regarding a suggested meeting with the Norfolk Hunt Club.

Discussed with Jim James of Park Street Books his need for new space for his operation, and several possible alternatives.

Reported back to a resident on information gathered in response to a complaint.