Public greenways along the Mystic River are undergoing great changes for the better thanks to contributions by Encore Boston Harbor casino and Somerville Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding.

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) applauds the extraordinary progress being made to revitalize and connect public greenways along the Mystic River and its tributaries. Since breaking ground in 2016, the Encore Boston Harbor casino has been the highest profile project on the Mystic River. What is less obvious is that many other waterfront parks and walk/bike paths involving tens of millions of dollars of new investment are also underway.

The public’s investment in cleaning up Boston Harbor led to the transformation of Boston’s waterfront, and now it’s the Mystic River’s turn,” said Fred Laskey, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. “I give a lot of credit to public and private landowners and to MyRWA for reconnecting people with the river. Let’s continue to make this a resource that is an asset for all 21 communities in the Mystic.”

Above and beyond Encore’s investment, tens of millions of dollars in public and private investments are being dedicated to new and restored shoreline parks and paths up and down the Mystic River. This includes 2.5 miles of completed shoreline paths, five miles of additional paths in design or construction, and five shoreline parks in Arlington, Everett, Malden, Medford, and Somerville undergoing major renovations, all since 2016.

Investments in Climate Resilient Parks

Launched with Somerville Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding in 2017, MyRWA has been leading a community-driven vision for the revitalization of Blessing of the Bay State Park, one of the few waterfront parks available to nearby low-income residents. Recent success includes a 2019 MassTrails grant to upgrade its bicycle/pedestrian path. Adjacent to this park, Assembly Square’s Draw Seven Park will see millions in improvements to provide recreational opportunities, create a living shoreline, and increase coastal flood resilience for the adjacent Amelia Earhart Dam.

Moving commuters off overburdened roads with off-road paths

A recent MassDOT study found that four of the five worst traffic spots in the state are in the Mystic Watershed (https://bit.ly/2UfZU9i). Several recent investments aim to lessen the load by making bicycle and subway commuting a viable alternative.

In the works is a pedestrian/bicycle bridge linking Somerville’s Assembly Square and the casino. The project, going through the final stages of design and permitting, will connect Somerville to the eight-mile Northern Strand Rail-Trail that ends at Lynn’s waterfront. “With north of 10,000 new jobs associated with Assembly Square and the Encore casino, daily commuters need to be able to get to work without adding to already grinding traffic,” said MyRWA’s Christoffersen. “This bridge is a key link across the Mystic for pedestrians and cyclists–and MyRWA is doing everything in our power to push these important projects forward.”

“I take great pride in the community activism and agency partnerships that have produced transformative open space investments like Baxter State Park in Assembly Square, and path investments like the shared-use boardwalk underneath the Wellington Bridge in Somerville,” said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone. “I’m excited to help mobilize investment partnerships in Draw Seven Park and Blessing of the Bay Park that improve climate resilience and low-carbon mobility in 2020.”

Larger Mystic Renaissance

This investment is part of the larger renaissance of the Mystic River watershed – which includes tens of millions of dollars in public and private investments to new and restored shoreline parks and paths. This includes 2.5 miles of completed shoreline paths, five miles of additional paths in design or construction, and five shoreline parks in Arlington, Everett, Malden, Medford, and Somerville undergoing major renovations – all since 2016 – when the high profile Encore Casino Boston Harbor broke ground.

“The Charles River and Boston Harbor have for years been more visible than the Mystic,” said Patrick Herron, MyRWA Executive Director. “The Mystic has similarly benefitted from decades of effort and millions in public investment to clean up our waterways. It’s really coming into its own, and these park investments are helping residents and visitors enjoy its renaissance.”