Letter to the Editor: Benefits to Extending the Minuteman Bikeway

~Submitted by Mark Bailey

I support the Minuteman Extension because I want it to be safer to get around town without a car. The project makes Bedford more connected, accessible, inclusive, and responsible. Folks interested in learning more should watch the video. Key benefits are summarized below.

SAFE

  • Improves crossings at Railroad Ave., Hartwell Rd., and Concord Road (Rt. 62)
  • Improves Railroad Ave. with new sidewalk and shared-use path, striping and signs, reduced flooding 
  • Installs rails in dangerous areas like Mongo Brook crossing
  • Provides stone dust shoulders along 75% of the trail for walkers, runners who prefer soft surface

CONNECTED

Get The Bedford Citizen in your inbox!



  • Connects neighbors to neighbors, workers to jobs, kids to schools and playing fields
  • Links Bedford east to west, connecting people to businesses and conservation areas
  • Connects to the library, Town Hall, playground, JGMS, BHS, and playing fields
  • Links to Narrow Gauge Trail, leading to shops, Springs Brook, Fawn Lake, Lane School
  • Connects to Minuteman, leading to Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge, ending at Alewife Station
  • Strengthens our position in growing regional network of transportation alternatives

ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE

  • Supports users of all ages and abilities, including users of adaptive devices
  • Provides safe, affordable option for those who don’t drive or have access to a vehicle
  • Enables the trail to be usable for more of the year

CLIMATE WIN

  • Supports active transit, replacing car trips, improving health with less congestion, less idling, less pollution. 40% of our Greenhouse Gas emissions are from transportation.
  • Addresses drainage on Railroad Ave., increasing resilience to climate change impacts
  • If the extension allows residents to replace even small numbers of car trips, this will more than offset the lost carbon sequestration potential of the 4.34 acres of trees impacted
  • Skipping just one year of road resurfacing would offset the asphalt carbon cost of project
  • No Adverse Effect under Clean Water, Endangered Species, Historic Preservation Acts 
  • No portion of the proposed project is in Estimated Habitat of Rare Wildlife

RESPONSIBLE

  • Fixes Railroad Ave. with $3.2M of state funding. As town road, this is not a good candidate for TIP funding, which prioritizes connectivity and greenways, on its own
  • Ensures the Town has the necessary land rights to keep the trail open to all
  • Assures access to maintain utilities, such as water, sewer, and fiber optic lines
  • Preserves our reputation as a serious partner to the state

Editor’s note: Mark Bailey is chair of the Bedford Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email


The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are those of the writer, not The Bedford Citizen.

Subscribe
Notify of

1 Comment
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Amy Kelly
November 20, 2022 10:32 am

Thank you for this thorough analysis of what we could have gained by approving this project.

All Stories

What’s Bedford Thinking about the Red Sox?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Junior Landscaping
Go toTop