Somerville Community Path

Weston & Sampson provided design services for the Community Path, a continuously expanding multiuse corridor in Somerville, Massachusetts. The City of Somerville selected Weston & Sampson to develop final designs for the Community Path beginning at the intersection with Cedar Street and connecting to the existing bridge at Lowell Street.

Early efforts initiated by the Friends of the Community Path and Somerville’s Open Space department, in collaboration with the City of Cambridge, laid the groundwork for this off-road multi-use path that connects to the regional Minuteman Bike Trail. While the initial mandate from Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was a simple 12’ wide asphalt path along a former rail bed, the City of Somerville wanted more, including a robust public engagement process to inform the design. Once a physical division between residential neighborhoods, the path addressed derelict site conditions and severe grade changes and created a welcoming, linear park with frequent access points. In response to community input and city direction, the design evolved from a linear band of asphalt into a multi-generational and multi-modal connector that functions as a major route for non-vehicular travel as well as a neighborhood connector to surrounding communities. Project elements include full-depth reconstruction, connections to the bridge using stairs and ramps, construction of retaining walls, minor drainage improvements, new ornamental lighting, and other enhancements. Our work involved extensive coordination with the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) to ensure accessibility and MA DOT to meet design standards, permanent and temporary right-of-way acquisitions, utility coordination, and a Phase I soil investigation. We also supported a comprehensive community participation program that involved key stakeholders, including an existing Veteran Nurses Association property and the MBTA Green Line Station.