On Aug. 13, more than a dozen Marbleheaders participated in a Rail Trail site walk and listening session to hear about the planned improvements to the trail, ask questions, learn about the trail’s history and talk about their concerns. At 4 p.m., the group set off on their walk from the Tower School down the Rail Trail to the Lead Mills conservancy, where they were led by Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan. After completing the trip, they met up again at the Post Office to walk down the Rail Trail to the Swampscott border.
“We’re getting a lot of public comments from the abutters along the trail that have concerns or questions about our projects,” said Callahan. ”So this gives them an opportunity to talk about specific concerns and areas of the trail.”
The Community Development and Planning Department is in the early planning phase of a project to significantly improve the Rail Trail over the next five years. These plans include widening the trail to 11 feet wide in order to better accommodate two-way bicycle traffic, drainage improvements to mitigate erosion and flooding, improvements to the informal paths that connect the trail to streets and neighborhoods, and adding new amenities on the trails to enhance the users’ experience.
“It will be incorporating some site amenities like benching and educational signage along the trail to inform about the history of the railroad corridor,” explained Callahan.
Much of the walk was spent discussing the Rail Trail’s important but underappreciated role in Marblehead’s history, and the group made brief stops to recognize a few relics of the railroad. The corridor that is now the Marblehead Rail Trail was established for the Eastern Railroad in 1838, and the Swampscott branch was added in 1873 to allow direct rides between Marblehead and Boston. Rail service along these tracks ended in the late 1950s and it has served as a walking and biking trail ever since. Callahan hopes that incorporating educational signage and kiosks will encourage interest and awareness of the trail’s rich history.
Another major part of the plan is to make significant improvements to the public paths that connect the rail trail to its surrounding neighborhoods, and Callahan hopes that this project can help give Marbleheaders better access to the Rail Trail.
“Where there is a public right of way that connects to the Rail Trail, we are going to look into making those improvements,” said Callahan. “We want all of these neighborhoods to have safe and easy access to the rail trail.”
The walk went smoothly, with participants listening attentively, asking questions about the details of these upcoming projects, and voicing their concerns about the trail’s upkeep, privacy, and the project timeline. Callahan expressed how important getting direct feedback from members of the community is, and how the feedback is going to have a big impact on their planning over the next few months.
“This is a community-driven project, and their input is valuable to us,” said Callahan.
