Northern Strand Community Trail

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.

The trail in Malden in June 2015

History
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
  1. "Community Path of Lynn". Bike to the Sea, Inc. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  2. "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. 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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