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Northern Strand Community Trail

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The trail in Malden in June 2015

The Northern Strand Community Trail, also known as the Bike to the Sea Trail, is a 10-mile public-use path project, including a rail trail portion,[1] which connects the cities of Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn,[2] along the former Saugus Branch Railroad of the Boston & Maine Railroad and other shared-use roads.[1] The trail is part of the East Coast Greenway, a project planning to connect almost 3,000 miles of trail from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida.[3] The path has been planned by Bike to the Sea, a non-profit cycling advocacy group, with help from the surrounding cities.

History

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The trail at the Malden/Revere border in June 2015

The trail primarily runs along the Saugus Branch Railroad, a former branch line of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The trail's right of way is leased from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for 99 years[4] by the respective cities the trail passes through. Like many nearby rail-trails, these leases include a reversion clause should the right of way be deemed more useful for other transportation uses.[4]

The Everett and Malden sections of the trail were opened with a granular recycled asphalt surface in summer 2012 and paved with an asphalt surface in August 2013.[5][6][7] Iron Horse Preservation completed the surfacing of the Saugus section of the trail with gravel. The Revere portion of the trail opened to the public with a recycled asphalt surface in Summer 2015.

The state committed $1.5 million in February 2018 to complete design of a Lynn section.[8] A $13.7 million construction contract was awarded in February 2020 with the goal of finishing a Lynn portion of the trail, and extending the southern terminus of the trail south through Everett to the Mystic river.[9] The West Lynn section opened on November 19, 2021.[2]

In September 2020 the governor of Massachusetts announced a grant of $150,000 to the city of Swampscott to build a linear park which will link the Northern Strand section in Swampscott to Lynn, along with several other existing trails.[10][11]

Plans presented on November 17, 2021,[12] call for additional expansion of the trail through downtown Lynn to Nahant. A separated / protected trail facility is planned, to run from Western Avenue in Lynn to the Lynn & Nahant shoreline.[13] The state awarded $263,000 for right-of-way acquisition in 2022.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Community Path of Lynn". Bike to the Sea, Inc. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  2. ^ a b "Ribbon Cutting for Lynn Section of Northern Strand Path". Bike to the Sea, Inc. 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-12-10. On Friday, November 19th, ... a ribbon cutting to officially open the newly completed paving and improvements on the Northern Strand in Lynn.
  3. ^ "NORTHERN STRAND COMMUNITY TRAIL BECOMES PART OF EAST COAST GREENWAY" (PDF). East Coast Greenway Alliance. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b Jessen, Klarke. "MBTA Advances Two Shared-Use Paths". mass.gov. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Malden Bike Path Closed for Paving". WickedLocal. August 3, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  6. ^ "Final phase of construction begins on Everett portion of Bike to Sea path". NoBo Magazine. July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  7. ^ Phelan, Sarah (January 15, 2010). "Bike to the Sea's trail shovel-ready". Saugus Advertiser. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  8. ^ "Baker-Polito Administration Awards $1.5 Million to Design Northern Strand Community Trail" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. February 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "Baker-Polito Administration Announces Construction Will Begin to Complete Northern Strand Community Trail" (Press release). Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. February 7, 2020.
  10. ^ "Governor Baker announced Shared Streets and Space Grant Program". WWLP. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  11. ^ "North Shore Task Force Regional Booklet 2020" (PDF). CTPS. Retrieved 2022-07-06. Connect the Swampscott section of the Northern Strand Community Trail to Lynn
  12. ^ "MassDOT: Lynn Extension Design Public Hearing". Bike to the Sea, Inc. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  13. ^ "Lynn/Nahant - proposed Northern Strand Extension project". Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MassDOT. Retrieved 2021-12-10. This project extends from the current terminus at Western Ave in Lynn and would enable users to reach the Lynn/Nahant Shore via a separated shared-use facility along existing roads.
  14. ^ "2022 MassTrails Awards (81 Projects)". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. June 2022. p. 5.
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