Photo: Shari Small/WBZ NewsRadio
SAUGUS, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Five communities north of Boston are now all connected thanks to a new scenic trail.
The Northern Strand Trail consists of 11 miles of paved multi-use trail that stretches through Everett, Lynn, Malden, Revere, and Saugus. The trail offers a variety of amenities beyond just a walking and biking space, such as parks, community gardens, and bocce courts.
Elle Baker, the Open Space and Environmental Planner for the City of Revere, told WBZ's Shari Small the path has a little bit of everything.
"You're in Everett and Malden and you're running or riding your bike through an urban community," she said. "Then in Revere, you head through the marsh which is beautiful and then you basically get to a point where it's dead silence and you feel like you've really left the city. Then you continue through Saugus with beautiful vistas and the river beside you and then you move into Lynn and have a bit of a mix."
The project cost around $15.5 million and was funded by the Gateway City Parks Program. Jonah Chiarenza, the Executive Director of Bike to the Sea, said the project was about 30 years in the making.
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"It feels like a pretty proud moment for the organization," he said. "It's a pretty important climate tool to improve off-road bicycle, rolling, walking, and wheelchair-accessible paths like this that can form a spine of connectivity to get people to jobs, housing, medical appointments, and school."
Chiarenza said he hopes this project can be just one part of a larger goal by adding connections or extensions.
WBZ's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.
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