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MBTA, Somerville to formally open Green Line Extension path people are already using
By adamg on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 2:57pm
The MBTA reports that the Green Line Extension Community Path for pedestrians and bicyclists that runs along the newest part of the Green Line in Somerville will officially open to the public tomorrow.
Somerville reports the path will open at 7 a.m.
The path did not open at the same time as the Green Line Extension. In recent weeks, people had been bypassing the fences that were still up to ride or walk on it.
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MBTA press release link
You may want to add it to your post
https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-06-09/glx-community-path-open-june-10
Also, Is The Community Path Extension Open?
Could've been a liability thing
One of the parks near us was under renovation but people were going in and using it as it was essentially done and you could get past the fence easily.
One afternoon there was a guy from the parks department and we ended up talking. He said that they couldn't officially open it because they were waiting for the railings on the stairs & ramps to be installed among a couple of other things needed to be signed off and remove the fencing.
He said that as long as the fences were up if anyone got hurt the city wouldn't be liable as they were officially trespassing so they were told they couldn't take them down.
This seems common on new local bike paths
I've seen it on the Cambridge-Watertown Greenway, the Northern Strand, and the Bruce Freeman Trail. The path is mostly finished, people are using it, but there are fence barriers to go around, and signs saying the path is closed.
I don't think the Cambridge-Watertown Greenway ever even had an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. One day, the "Closed" signs and barriers were just gone.
Only seven months late!
The Globe ran a story about it not being open just a few days ago. It seems the only way to get the MBTA to take action these days is for the Globe to publish an embarrassing story. I shouldn't waste time emailing state reps and should instead just bug Globe editors.
Three cheers for the fourth estate?
Over/Under
for the first tents for those lacking shelter?
Bonus points for the location.
Gentrification comes with responsibilities.
No idea on when, but I absolutely know where.
Towards the eastern end there's an overpass with a deep sheltered cutout next to the path. Someone is definitely going to set up camp there!
(It's actually a kind of a sketchy spot already because of the blind corners on the cutout. I predict that within 8 years there will be a fence across that space.)