MVPC is celebrating bike month by reflecting on the great progress the region is making to develop an active transportation network. With a focus on multi-modal trails, our communities have completed nearly 23 miles – with another 32 miles on the way – of paved trails that connect our region’s downtowns, job centers, schools, recreation areas and open spaces.
Communities also seek to create safer on-road connections, including separated bike lanes as communities have been awarded funding from the State through the Complete Streets and Shared Streets and Spaces grant programs. These improvements are vital to making biking safe and reducing the region’s dependency on cars to get around. Also, biking is an enjoyable and healthy activity to do with friends and family. So, this bike month – and throughout the rest of the year – we encourage you to check out the bicycle facilities that have been installed and learn more about what our communities are planning for the future.
Featured Trail
The Clipper City Rail Trail recently completed an important section in Newburyport that will create a connection from the MBTA commuter rail station to the Harborwalk along the waterfront. The Coastal Trails Coalition is working to create multi-use connections, such as the Clipper Trail, across the communities of Newburyport, Newbury, Salisbury, and Amesbury. The trail network would not only provide safe bicycle and pedestrian connections to downtowns and the commuter rail, but also provide a path for people who are seeking a recreational stroll or ride along the coast. Explore more about the trail by visiting the City of Newburyport’s website. Learn more about the Coastal Trails Coalition.
Featured Bike Lanes
The City of Methuen received Shared Streets and Spaces funding to install separated bike lanes along Riverside Drive between the Riverside Boat Ramp and Riverside Park. This project will be the first to introduce separated bike lanes to the Merrimack Valley – and we could not be more excited. The project features 6-foot bike lanes and 3-foot buffers between the car travel lanes and the bike lanes in both directions. The buffers will include flex posts that will be a vertical barrier between the cyclist and the motorist. This is an important improvement recognizing this design is vital to the safety of all users of the road – people driving, walking, biking, or rolling. Explore more about the separated bike lanes by visiting the City of Methuen’s website.
Vision Zero
As we work through our many transportation planning efforts for the region, we want to recognize the importance of road safety and the goals we are set to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries that the region experiences on our roads. Vision zero is a comprehensive approach to preventing fatalities and serious injuries by rethinking our policies and road designs to make sure that all users have safe access to our transportation system. This approach has been adopted at the federal and state level as well as by many municipalities. We want to work together as a region and with our individual communities to ensure we are also working toward vision zero goals. Learn more about vision zero.