By William Tauro
This past Monday night, Green Cambridge and Mystic River Watershed Association hosted the
“Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Over the Mystic River DCR Meeting”at Partners Health Care, Assembly Row in Somerville.
The community meeting was for a proposed footbridge from Somerville to the Wynn Casino in Everett.
The meeting room was packed with residents as well as elected officials from Somerville and everett concerned on how the proposed bridge will effect their communities.
This is a key link in the unification of the most important urban regional Paths in New England – Minuteman, White, Northern Strand and Grand Junction.
At this public meeting, DCR presented and obtained input on a proposed 25% schematic design for a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to extend over the Mystic River, connecting Everett to Somerville and Charlestown at Draw Seven Park.
As official’s presentation described a beautiful, modern streamlined bridge, residents expressed concerns over the pros and con of the bridge and how it will impact our community and if we really need it or not.
Some residents called it “A bridge to deliver their money to the casino!”
One Somerville resident expessed his concerns in a comment “We are being bought with a soccer field? Can the parents leave their kids there while they go gambling? If you plan on answering that question then let me sell you some canned steam. That’s a bridge that doesn’t bring people together but separates them from their money. How many bike lanes do you see at Foxwoods casino? Do you really think that’s why they are building it?”
The presentation will be viewable after the meeting on DCR’s website athttps://www.mass.gov/service-details/materials-from-past-meetings. The public was invited to submit comments after the public meeting, with a deadline for receipt by DCR of close-of-business on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
Comments may be submitted online at https://www.mass.gov/forms/dcr-public-comments or by writing to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02114.
the bridge will serve a much needed purpose and link the northern strand greenway to Boston and other trails as well.
This bike pedestrian bridge is much needed. it will link a bunch of the urban regional trails together and be a resource for families. We need it and we need it built yesterday. Please support it. It will benefit us all.
Oh! Are we going to pay for that too??? Such a long walkway heading over to the casino. Great place for someone to get robbed with no place to run to. Great job Joe, if you can’t get all of our money with the nonsense you create, then you should have thought of a way to ferry our money across the river, it would be easier. Shame on you!!