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Neighbors successfully halt Cambridge bike path restoration project, for now
The neighbors say the planned widening of the path to accommodate more commuters will threaten mature trees.
The city wants to reimagine a Cambridge park as a commuter route, while some neighbors are lamenting the potential loss of meandering strolls and some of the park’s trees.
A judge paused the upcoming construction to redesign Cambridge’s Linear Park, a half-mile green corridor connecting the MBTA Alewife station and the Somerville border. From there, commuters and walkers can continue on the Somerville Community Path to more public transit.
The park was created when the Red Line was extended past Harvard to Alewife, nearly 40 years ago. Since then, the paved path has deteriorated, the city says, and the project will reinforce the space for both walkers and parkgoers, as well as bike riders and other commuters.
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Construction is set to begin in early September to widen the path, replace old light poles, add new trees, and make other upgrades, per a city’s redesign plan. But, some Cantabrigians filed a complaint in Middlesex Superior Court earlier this month to stop all preparatory work at the park.
A judge agreed, and the city must temporarily stop all work, “including healthy tree removal” ahead of a preliminary injunction hearing next Monday.
“We view the Judge’s ruling as a victory; but much remains to be done,” Adam Costa, the lawyer representing the neighbors against the redesign, said in a statement.
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In a statement to Boston.com, a spokesperson for the city said the court allowed a city contractor to move forward with removing five unhealthy cherry trees last week “due to public safety purposes.”
Complaint: Project ‘will likely kill over 120 mature trees’
The complaint claims the city’s plans will make the path more dangerous by adding intersections and making it easier for faster vehicles to use the path for commuting. The complaint acknowledges that the project adds secondary paths for pedestrians, but those add 10 new intersections which “increases the odds of a serious or catastrophic accident.”
“They are saying we will produce a safer path for everyone. And I dispute that,” Charles Teague, a daily walker of the path and the lead plaintiff suing, told The Boston Globe. “There will be a tremendous environmental cost.”
Volunteers also determined that the widening of the path will affect tree roots, which “will likely kill over 120 mature trees,” according to the complaint.
“The Project will irreparably destroy Linear Park, in effect converting it from a public park to a transportation corridor and commuter thruway,” the complaint said.
While the neighbors claim the irrigation system won’t be replaced, causing more damage to trees, the city’s plan mentions a new irrigation system as a “key upgrade.”
Paths will be widened up to 4 feet
Currently, paths along Linear Park are 10-and-a-half feet wide or narrower. The city wants to expand them to 11 to 14.5 feet wide, “with two travel lanes and one shared central pass lane.”
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Costa, on behalf of the neighbors, argues making the park more transportation-oriented changes its official use, which requires state approval. The complaint also addresses other procedural concerns.
“The project violates the City’s own Zoning Ordinance, which places Linear Park in a so-called ‘Open Space District’ that generally prohibits transportation uses,” Costa said. “Portions of the project are also situated on land that is not even owned by the City of Cambridge.”
To protect the trees, the city planned to not allow contractors to park vehicles on roots, transplant smaller trees, and use “air spading” to decompact the soil. New utilities will be under the paved path “to reduce disruption to roots,” the city’s plan said. The city will also plant between 120 and 150 new trees, while the complaint focuses on the benefits of mature trees.
In a statement, city spokesperson Jeremy Warnick said “there was no plan by the City to remove any healthy trees.”
“The City of Cambridge is conducting a thorough review of the complaint. In the meantime, we are confident all required processes and procedures have been followed and stand by the plans for this project,” Warnick said. “We look forward to enhancing the park and more effectively supporting the needs and interests of our community.”
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