Legislative board recommends $500G for Lynnfield trail project

LYNNFIELD – The future of the Lynnfield rail-trail project looks a bit brighter after state Rep. Mark Falzone announced last week a positive recommendation for $500,000 in funding by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets.”This significant state funding will be a big boost to our local rail-trail efforts,” wrote Falzone in a released statement. “And the committee’s recommendation adds important momentum in favor of passage.”The multi-million dollar project involves turning 4.5 miles of abandoned MBTA railroad into a bicycle and pedestrian pathway. The path would run from Main Street in Wakefield through Lynnfield for 2.5 miles to the Peabody/Lynnfield border. Supporters say the path will be open to all “non-motorized” means of transportation, from cross-country skiing to inline skating to horseback riding.According to Falzone’s spokesperson Bob Smith, a feasibility study was recently funded and completed by the State for $30,000. The $500,000, which will hopefully come as part of the $4.8 billion Transportation Bond Bill, will be used to cover engineering and design costs specifically for this rail-to-trail project.”The first step is getting the bond bill passed and having (Gov. Deval Patrick) release the funds,” said Smith. “We’d all wish it were happening right away, but things do take a little bit of time, especially big projects like this.”Almost 14,000 miles of railways have been transformed into walking or biking trails throughout the country, according to the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy Web site, and an estimated 11,000 are currently in the making. In Massachusetts, 31 trails currently exist with a total coverage of over 160 miles. Smith said this trail could potentially connect with others throughout the state, making Lynnfield part of a larger network.Smith said that as the trails become more and more popular, the possibility of federal and state funding grows, which is exactly what Falzone and his fellow supporters would like to see so the local tax burden is lessened.”A number of residents in each community, as well as public officials, have supported changing that rail line into a pathway,” said Smith. “It’s nice recreationally, but good for health, too. And, it’s not bad for the environment. It is an avenue of transportation that’s nonpolluting.”Smith said there’s no telling when or if the trail will be completed, but it is an ongoing process.”It’s not something that’ll happen overnight.”