Accelerate Belmont Community Path Phase 1 construction and Phase 2 design
- Target:
- Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (Boston MPO); Town of Belmont, Massachusetts
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- belmontcommunitypath.com
This petition urges action to complete both phases of the Belmont Community Path, one of few remaining gaps for the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) in the Boston Region. Phase 1 includes the section of the Belmont Community Path from the Fitchburg Cutoff Path at the Cambridge City Line through Belmont Center to the Clark Street Bridge and includes a pedestrian tunnel under the commuter rail connecting Alexander Avenue with the new Belmont Middle and High School campus. Phase 2 extends the Belmont Community Path from the Clark Street Bridge to the Beaver Brook Reservation with a spur to connect with the Waltham Wayside Trail at the Waltham City Line. Completion of both phases would close a critical gap in the 104-mile Mass Central Rail Trail.
Construction for Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path was fully funded by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in June 2024 across federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 and 2027 budgets as part of the 2025-29 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Delays during the design process have consumed buffer time and priority attention is now required to start the construction process in 2026. The Boston Region MPO recently proposed full funding for Phase 1 in fiscal year 2026 in the Draft 2026-30 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). We want to consolidate that decision to accelerate construction of Phase 1. Signatures received by May 20 will be formally documented as Public Comments in the final TIP that will be endorsed by the MPO in June. Signatures received later will continue to urge the Town of Belmont to ensure the project is ready to begin construction in 2026.
The Town of Belmont formally began Phase 2 in December 2022 by contracting with a design firm. After quick action initially, progress has stalled for over two years as the Belmont Select Board began revisiting the route alignment in August 2023. The design firm cannot continue its process without an approved route to define the task. Given recent progress in the Boston MetroWest region, Phase 2 in Belmont and the adjacent Waltham Wayside Trail section to Beaver Street (awaiting Phase 2 completion) will be the final gap in the eastern section of the Mass Central Rail Trail between Boston and I-495. Each day of Phase 2 delay postpones completion of this important section.
In signing this petition, you will join others in providing formal public input to the Boston Region MPO decision on funding for Phase 1 and urge Town of Belmont leaders to complete Phase 1 readiness and accelerate design of Phase 2. Please sign and circulate to others in order to accelerate completion of the Belmont Community Path.
We, the signatories of this petition, endorse construction of the Belmont Community Path and urge action to prioritize its completion as an important transportation, recreation, and community asset and as a critical link in the 104 mile Mass Central Rail Trail. We request specific actions below that move forward both phases of this project.
We urge local, regional and state leaders to advance Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path in order to begin construction in 2026. This includes the following requests:
1. We ask the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to fully fund Phase 1 (Project ID 609204) in FFY 2026 when endorsing the final 2026-30 TIP.
2. We urge the Town of Belmont elected officials, committees and staff to dedicate sufficient resources and manage contractors so that the project is ready to advertise for construction by September 2026 and utilize Boston Region MPO funding in FFY 2026.
We urge local, regional and state leaders to accelerate design and funding for Phase 2 in order to prioritize completion of the Belmont Community Path and full connection of the Mass Central Rail Trail in the Boston Region. Following delays of more than two years for Phase 2 design, we make the following requests:
3. We urge the Belmont Select Board to expediently approve the Belmont Community Path Project Committee’s recommended route so that the Phase 2 design process can proceed.
4. We ask Town of Belmont leaders and the Boston Region MPO to formalize Phase 2 of the Belmont Community Path by assigning a Project ID Number for the TIP process.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Accelerate Belmont Community Path Phase 1 construction and Phase 2 design petition to Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (Boston MPO); Town of Belmont, Massachusetts was written by FriendsBelmontCommunityPath and is in the category City & Town Planning at GoPetition.