There’s a public meeting this afternoon at 3 PM about the Upper Falls Greenway. It will be a chance for supporters and any opponents to publicly have their say before the Upper Falls Area Council takes a vote on the project. The Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force, the folks who put this plan together, will present a slide show to describe the project in detail and various representatives from city departments (Parks & Rec, Planning, Police) will be on hand to answer questions.
Meeting is at 3 PM at the Emerson Community Center on Pettee St in Upper Falls
I saw on Facebook that the council approved this 9-1. I hope Jerry or anyone else who attended will provide more details.
terrific enlighhtening presentation of Bay Colony bike pathway system linking potential intercity riders and pedestrians. Recent property value sale prices increased based on proximity to rail>trail. BPTF presenter George Kirby sold most everyone in attendance. Jerry Reilly represented the vested interests of the NUFAC and the majority of immediate abutters. Pep rally spirit will hopefully hit home in the corner office. stay tuned.
Approximately 90 people turned up, 15 or 20 members of the public spoke in support of the project with virtually no opposition. Two speakers also voiced their support but also urged that every effort be made to keep options open for future light rail along the corridor.
Aldermen Crossley, Kallis, Linsky, Rice, Schwartz and Yates attended as well as Carol Stapleton from Parks and Rec and Candace Havens from Planning Dept who also spoke.
All in all, it was a startlingly positive and enthusiastic meeting with unambiguous support from the public and a 9-0 vote of support from the council. As Schlock said, it had “a pep rally spirit”.
p.s. Greg that vote was 9-0 not 9-1 (there’s only nine counselors).
p.p.s. The only downer is that I don’t believe Parks and Recs are going to take me up on my daughters generous donation of her design for a “No male spandex” sign for the Greenway.
This is a wonderful development for the Upper Falls community and a great tonic for several not so very good things that have happened to that village in recent years including the closing of the Emerson School and the pending close of the village’s Post Office.
@Jerry. I counted 101 people and it was great to see such a positive and enthusiastic outpouring of support from the Upper Falls community. I know there are some details to be ironed out, but I think Jerry and the rest of the Greenway boosters have answers for most of these. Time is of the essence. The Iron Horse Foundation which will do the project at no cost to the City or Upper Falls has several other rail projects scheduled in Eastern Massachusetts this year, so they have all the equipment close by to complete the Upper Falls Greenway over the next several months. Let’s not let anything stop this. Upper Falls seems enthusiastically looking forward to this as a new focal point for village activity and for identification as a vibrant village that is on the mend.
And I see this Greenway as the centerpiece of a physical and conceptual link between Lincoln Square in Newton Highlands and Pettee Square in Upper Falls.
@Bob – The Highland-Falls Express Line
Jerry’s done what he can to report dispassionately on the topic. By doing so, he’s downplayed his very significant role in this project. It’s safe to say that George Kirby, Jim Lerner, and Jerry have sunk their teeth into a good idea and done tremendous hard work to turn the idea into a meaningful project with a high likelihood of success.
@Sean. You have hit the nail on the head. I should also note that George Kirby gave a polished and substantive presentation on general rail to trail issues, and the Upper Falls project specifically. I didn’t mean to slight him or anyone else in my effusive praise for Jerry. It’s just that I’ve known Jerry from our work at Friends of Hemlock Gorge and we share some of the same thoughts–some brilliant and others a bit crazy. But it’s all good.