Baker-Polito Administration Advances Mystic River
Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Project
Everett - Governor Charlie Baker today announced that the
Baker-Polito Administration has committed to completing the design, permitting
and construction of the Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge
project, once constructed, will provide a connection from Draw Seven Park near
the MBTA Assembly Station in the City of Somerville to the City of Everett next
to the Encore Boston Harbor Resort, enhancing mobility and access for residents
while linking communities within the Northern Strand and Mystic River trail
network. The announcement was made by Governor Baker, Energy and Environmental
Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler,
Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd Stein, and state and local officials in the
Cities of Everett and Somerville.
“This long-awaited project
will provide the residents of Everett, Somerville and surrounding communities
with a safe and convenient way to walk or bike across the Mystic River,” said
Governor Charlie Baker. “Once built, the Mystic River bridge will
re-connect these communities, enhance access to transportation and local
businesses and link the long-distance trail network on the North Shore,
delivering significant benefits to the entire region.”
“The Mystic River bridge is
an important connector to get bicyclists and pedestrians across the river,” said
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We’re pleased to move forward with this
project and are grateful for the local community groups, and the cities of
Everett and Somerville, for their advocacy in support of this needed
infrastructure.”
In 2009, the Department of
Conservation and Recreation completed a feasibility study which found that a
new bridge was the best option for a connection across the Mystic River due to
its ability to provide a direct, safe route that would increase mobility,
provide pedestrians and bicyclists access to transit and local businesses, and
reconnect communities divided by highways, high speed roads, and water.
State officials estimate that approximately 2,300 pedestrians and more than 350
bicyclists will utilize the bridge on a daily basis. Formally proposed as a
result of the study, the bridge will be approximately 12 feet wide, 785 feet
long, and 35 feet high at the top of the structure, and will include lighting,
signage, and benches along its entire length.
“By making sure this bridge
gets built, the Baker-Polito Administration is delivering a mobility solution
that prioritizes equity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances access
to local businesses and services for residents in these Environmental Justice
communities,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen
Theoharides. “The Mystic River bridge will provide a critical link for
residents that makes public transit and recreational trails easier to access,
building on the Administration’s investments in long-distance trail networks
like the Northern Strand.”
“The Massachusetts
Department of Transportation is pleased to be part of efforts to construct a
pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Mystic River which will increase the
options for traveling between Everett and Somerville,” said Transportation
Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler. “Construction of this bridge supports
the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to providing a safe and equitable
transportation network to advance the Commonwealth’s transit, economic, climate
and public health goals.”
Once completed, the bridge
will also allow the Northern Strand shared use path, which travels from Lynn to
the Mystic River, to realize its full potential. The 11.5 mile Northern Strand
project, which the Baker-Polito Administration supported through a $15 million
investment, provides a transportation and recreation corridor that connects the
communities of Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn. The bridge between
Somerville and Everett will connect the Northern Strand to the Mystic River and
Malden River trail networks, and deliver an equitable mobility solution to
residents of surrounding communities. Four of the five communities along the
Northern Strand are Gateway Cities, and all the communities, as well as
Somerville, are Environmental Justice communities. Of the 111,000 people that
live within one half mile of the Northern Strand, 96,000, or 86%, meet at least
one Environmental Justice Criteria.
The announcement to advance
and complete the project follows a commitment from the Massachusetts Gaming
Commission in October 2021 to provide $650,000 to finish the design and
permitting phase of the project. This phase of the project is expected to be
completed in Summer 2022, with construction projected to begin in 2024 or
sooner pending the permitting process. To pay for the approximately $35 million
construction cost, the Administration will pursue opportunities for federal
grant funding and is exploring several additional options to finance the
project. Once completed, the bridge will be under the care and custody of DCR,
which will maintain the structure and provide services such as snow and ice
removal.
“On behalf of my fellow
commissioners, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is delighted to contribute
to this exciting initiative through the MGC Community Mitigation Fund,” said
Cathy Judd-Stein, Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. “As
envisioned by the Legislature and established under the Expanded Gaming Act,
the Community Mitigation Fund provides support to communities and governmental
entities in offsetting impacts related to casino gaming. The pedestrian and
bicycle bridge will connect Encore Boston Harbor’s host community Everett to
Somerville, enhancing economic opportunities, and link the T to a new and
extensive network of bike paths, offering critical transportation alternatives
to casino patrons and employees and Massachusetts residents.”
“Providing our residents and
visitors with unique opportunities to get outdoors and live healthy active
lifestyles is more important now than ever before,” said Department of
Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Jim Montgomery. “Creating critical
trail connections by building the Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge is
yet another example of the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to
improving our trail system and forging community bonds.”
“This project provides a new, direct, safe, and comfortable
connection for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling across the Mystic River
between Everett and Assembly Station in Somerville,” said Everett Mayor
Carlo DeMaria. “The bridge stitches the growing 25-mile network Mystic
River trail system and regional pedestrian and bicycle routes. It will provide Everett
residents direct access to the rapid MBTA station at Assembly Row, in turn,
providing access to jobs and other key destinations without a car or multiple
transit transfers. Thank
you to the Baker Polito Administration as well as the Mass. Gaming Commission.
When government works cohesively, we can and will accomplish the unthinkable.”
"The Mystic River
Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge will be an important link in a larger network of
regional pathways on both sides of the Mystic River,” said Somerville Mayor
Joseph Curtatone. “Connecting the communities in the Mystic River basin is
a step forward for transportation equity and for making sustainable,
environmentally friendly transit options more accessible to residents in our
region. I look forward to this project moving forward and opening up a new
connection between Somerville and Everett."
The Baker-Polito
Administration’s commitment to build the project follows significant
stakeholder engagement, including input and strong support for the project from
local officials, legislators, community groups, and environmental and mobility
advocacy groups. Public meetings were held in both Everett and Somerville in
addition to six large stakeholder meetings focused on various aspects of the
project. Additionally, the Administration held other public hearings associated
with project permitting in each community.
