Arlington Taking First Steps On New Mystic River Trails

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington is in the early phases of establishing a route from the Mystic River Path to the Minuteman Bikeway.

The Department of Planning and Community Development will hold a virtual meeting on Jan. 26 to kick off a feasibility study of the project. The study will review the existing trails and the feasibility of creating new ones along the Mystic River from Decatur Street, along the Mystic Valley Parkway, to Summer Street, and over to the Minuteman Bikeway through Buzzell Field or Mill Street.

This project is funded through a grant of $80,000 from the MassTrails Program and $10,000 from the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation. The town has contracted with Toole Design Group to complete this work, and DPCD staff are overseeing the project in partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA).

At the meeting, the town and MyRWA will introduce the project, followed by a presentation from Toole Design Group about the goals, existing conditions and design issues to be addressed in the project area. Most of the meeting will be devoted to a discussion period, with feedback recorded via a virtual whiteboard to allow people to comment on specific locations and ask questions of the team. A public survey will also be available to collect feedback outside the public meeting. The meeting will be recorded and re-shared for viewing by those unable to attend.

This trail connection is envisioned in several studies and master plans, including the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Mystic Reservation Master Plan, the recently released DCR Parkways Master Plan, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Landlines trail plan, the town's Connect Arlington Sustainable Transportation Plan, and the Mystic River Watershed Association's Mystic Greenways Initiative.

This length of the project is approximately 1.7 miles and includes studying the rotaries at Route 60/Mystic Valley Parkway in Arlington and Medford, and the intersection of Mystic Street/Summer Street/Mystic Valley Parkway, to improve safety and access for people walking and biking.

The meeting will be held virtually on Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m.