Phase 1 Ribbon Cutting August 29, 2009 Edition

Phase 1 Ribbon Cutting
August 29, 2009 Edition
http://www.brucefreemanrailtrail.org
A Long Road Home
Phase 1 Opens: What’s Next?
Mary Tevlin (1924-2009) liked to tell
the story of how she took up the cause of
a rail trail from Lowell to Sudbury. After
her husband received a bicycle at his
retirement party, Mary purchased a bicycle
for herself. They set out to ride in
Chelmsford but soon gave up because
they felt the roads were too treacherous.
Relating her experience of a pleasurable
ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail to her
friend Sharon Galpin, the two of them
began to wonder if a similar trail could be
built along the unused rail bed in
Chelmsford. When they ran into Bruce
Freeman, Chelmsford’s State Representative, in a supermarket parking lot,
Bruce encouraged them to follow up on
the bike path idea and gave them some
tips on how to proceed. Mary and Sharon
worked to establish the feasibility, write
letters, and make contacts.
In April of 1985, Mary and Sharon met
with Bernie Lynch, another advocate and
then an assistant to the Chelmsford Town
Manager. Two months later, Bernie and
Mary organized the first multi-town
meeting to discuss creating a trail along
the unused railroad line. It was named the
Lowell-Sudbury Bike Path and was
envisioned to extend, roughly, from
Industrial Avenue in Lowell to Route 20
in Sudbury.
Beverly Woods, a Westford resident and
currently Executive Director of the
Northern
Middlesex
Council
of
Governments (NMCOG), started working
on the proposed bike path in January of
1986 when she was a planner for
NMCOG. By 1987, NMCOG published a
feasibility study for the project.
After Bruce Freeman passed away in
1986, Carol Cleven was elected to his
vacant seat. In January 1987 she introduced her first bill creating the Bruce N.
Freeman Memorial Bike Path. The bill
was signed into law by Governor Michael
Dukakis in April 1989.
At the beginning of 1989, the
Commonwealth decided that the project
should be divided into two phases: a
northern section (Phase 1 - Lowell,
Chelmsford, and Westford) and a southern
section (Phase 2 - Carlisle, Acton,
History (continued on back)
Completing Phase 1 of the Bruce Freeman
Rail Trail - from Lowell at Cross Point
Towers through Chelmsford to Route 225 in
Westford - is just that: finishing the first
part of a 25-mile trail that will eventually
extend into Framingham.
Phase 2 starts at the southern terminus of
Phase 1 in Westford, passes through a short
section of Westford and then continues
through Carlisle, Acton, Concord, and
Sudbury. Approximately 12 miles in length,
Phase 2 is split into phases 2A (from Route
225 in Westford to Wetherbee Street in
Acton), 2B (crossing Route 2 as part of the
Rotary reconstruction project), 2C (through
Concord), and 2D (to Route 20 in
Sudbury). Phase 3 continues another 4.6
miles from Rte 20 in Sudbury to Rte 30 in
Framingham.
The right of way (ROW) for Phase 2 is
owned by the state (the Executive Office of
Transportation and Public Works –
EOTPW) with the rails and ties largely
intact, while the Phase 3 ROW is still
owned by the railroad company CSXT,
though the rails and ties have been removed.
To the north a connector is envisioned
between the BFRT and the Concord River
Greenway in Lowell. (Please see the Friends
of the BFRT website for a detailed table
showing the phases.)
Town Meeting votes in Westford, Carlisle,
Acton, Concord and Sudbury have all
shown strong support for the BFRT. The
Phase 2A and 2C towns are coordinating
their efforts via an Intermunicipal
Agreement, with Acton as the lead Town.
As of the end of July, Phases 2A and 2C
were tentatively planned for construction in
the 2021-2025 timeframe. Although this
seems far in the future, it is significant and
essential that it is scheduled at all. Since
this schedule will change as funding, costs,
and priorities change, the Friends will
continue their efforts to move the project up
in the construction queue. Construction of
Phases 2D and 3 are not yet scheduled.
The major holdup for moving forward is
funding (surprise!!!). Transportation dollars
are extremely tight, with the state still
paying off Big Dig bonds for years to come
and many projects fighting over a small
funding pie.
What’s Next? (continued on back)
Section of trail in Westford
It’s Time to Enjoy the Trail
TODAY, August 29, 2009, Phase 1 of the
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail officially opens!
Construction of this trail represents the
successful collaboration of three municipalities, MassHighway, the Massachusetts
legislature, many other state agencies, the
contractor, and the Friends of the Bruce
Freeman Rail Trail.
We encourage trail users to patronize our
sponsors and other local businesses. Be sure to
notice the paintings behind Ginger Ale Plaza
in Chelmsford by local artists Markus Lewis
and Rick Lowe and the natural artwork of the
beautiful conservation lands along the trail.
Little Ways You Can Help
The Towns of Westford and Chelmsford are
responsible for maintenance and policing of
the trail, but you can help in many ways:
Don’t litter and clean up after your dog;
Be courteous to other users of the trail;
Be courteous to abutters;
Be cautious at road intersections;
Adopt a section of the trail to maintain; and,
Alert the police to suspicious activity.
History (continued from front page)
Concord, and Sudbury). The project was
then shelved until the Commonwealth's
fiscal crisis could be resolved.
In 1995, MassHighway assigned Steve
McLaughlin as Project Manager for the
design of Phase 1. He enlisted the aid of
Danny O'Brien, a Project Manager from the
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
who had worked on the Cape Cod Rail
Trail. The third member of the project team
was Beverly. A public hearing for the Phase
1 preliminary design was held in 1998.
After that, Bill Harman was appointed by
the Westford Board of Selectmen as a rail
trail representative and, together with
Beverly, worked with many abutters.
In 2002, the Friends of the BFRT was
established in Concord and was subsequently expanded to include members and
board representation in all eight communities through which the trail passes.
Construction on Phase 1 commenced
August 2007. Mark Fedele was assigned
MassHighway Resident Engineer and S&R
Corporation of Lowell was awarded the
contract. Together, they made a special effort
to preserve tree canopy overarching the trail
as well as the historic mile posts and
whistle posts along the trail. Now two years
later, the 6.8-mile trail is opening! The
FBFRT appreciates the years of work and
dedication of all those involved and would
like to extend special appreciation to MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky,
Beverly Woods, Steve McLaughlin, Mark
Fedele, and Danny O'Brien.
Over the last 24 years, these and other
dedicated public servants and persistent
citizens have worked hard to move the trail
forward despite obstacles. Now that Phase 1
is complete, the same persistence and hard
work will be necessary to acquire the
funding to complete Phases 2 and 3.
State Rep. Bruce N. Freeman
Joining the Friends of the
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a
great way to support all
phases of the trail!
Check out our web site.
What’s Next? (continued from front page)
Priorities of the Friends include:
* Continue to design the trail, since those
projects that are ready to move forward
have the best chance of taking advantage
of funding opportunities.
* Educate state and regional politicians
and funding decision-makers that the
BFRT and other multi-modal community
paths are highly valued and desired and
should become a higher priority for
transportation spending. Positive Town
Meeting votes in all five Phase 2 towns
have demonstrated local support and town
governments
are
following
their
constituents’ desires.
* Help increase the amount of funding for
all rail-trail-type projects.
* Find ways to decrease the projected
costs for rail trails built in Massachusetts.
* Win state and federal funds specifically
designated for the BFRT.
The Friends of the BFRT have
accomplished much over the past seven
years to refocus interest in the BFRT, yet
much remains to be done. We will need
your continued active and vocal support
over the coming months and years to
install amenities, help with maintenance
for Phase 1, and to push for construction
of the remainder of the trail. If you want
to volunteer, please contact us:
info@brucefreemanrailtrail.org or visit our
website for contact information for a
Board Member in your Town.
SPONSORS and SUPPORTERS! We would like to thank all our Ribbon Cutting Sponsors their contributions helped make the event. Please support them with your business!
Agway - centralmassagway.com
Maple St., Chelmsford
Chelmsford Business Association
chelmsfordbusiness.org
Chili’s Restaurants - chilis.com,
in Westford and Lowell
Countryside Veterinary Hospital
cvhonline.com, Rt. 110, Chelmsford
Hardy Doric
978-815-0499, Chelmsford
Pedal Power - pedpow.com
176 Great Rd., Acton
REI Corporation - rei.com
Reading & Framingham
Sully’s Ice Cream
Graniteville Rd, Chelmsford
Yoong Tong Thai Restaurant - Chelmsford,
next to Old Town Hall, yoongtong.com
A-1 Toilets
978-250-3906, Chelmsford
Summer Place Retirement Community - Chelmsford
Facilitations, facilitations.com
Center Sports, 978-256-5343, Chelmsford Center
Goodies Cookies, goodieshomemade.com
Chelmsford Cyclery, 978-256-1528, on the trail
Harrington Wine & Liquors, Summer St, Chelmsford
DeMoulas / Market Basket
The Java Room, thejavjroom.com
Nashoba Valley Ski Area, skinashoba.com
Lynch Paint, 978-692-3703, Westford & Lowell
Reicheld Ting Orthodontics, straightteeth.com
Toy Shop of Westford, toyshopofwestford.com
Spirit Rising, next to Old Town Hall, spiritrisingart.com
Traveling Rhino, 978-256-7800, Chelmsford Center
Zesty’s Pizza, new location at Village Square
And, of course, Friends of BFRT and our volunteers!