The League Board recently voted to send a letter below in support of a grant application by the City of Newton to study extending the greenway from Newton to Needham. An excerpt is below.
The LWVN has long supported projects in the city that promote more walking and biking. These projects make our city safer, healthier, greener and less congested. They also provide better options for the growing number of Newton residents that do not have a car or choose to use their vehicles less frequently. We are excited about this project’s potential to improve mobility.
The city will be looking at options for a safe path connecting Newton and Needham just south of the Needham Street/Highland Avenue corridor. This path would create a pedestrian and bicycle trail connection adjacent to the Blue Heron Trail via an unused rail bridge. The path would be a welcomed addition to the thousands of nearby residents and the many area businesses, providing a fast, safe alternative to the often-congested Needham Street/Highland Avenue corridor.
With the additional building projects under development in the area, the pressure is growing to mitigate congestion by encouraging alternative modes of transportation. This connection will also enable more people to travel by bike to other locations in Newton such Wells Avenue business park and UMass Mt. Ida campus in Newton. This project will also enable greater access to recreation and open spaces in Newton including the Charles River, the Upper Falls Greenway, Cutler Park and Nahanton Park.