Tri-Community Greenway Open to the Public
Nov 12, 2018 06:35AM
● By Linda Woods Curtin

After a decades-long effort, a new local recreation area is
open to the public. The Tri-Community
Greenway, a project first proposed in the 1980s, was finally completed earlier
this fall. The Greenway is a 6.6-mile, multi-use trail that starts at Ginn
Field in Winchester, winds through Woburn, and ends at Recreation Park in
Stoneham. (Greenway
Map)
The project was launched when the Town of Stoneham acquired
an abandoned section of the former Boston and Maine Railroad from the MBTA in
the 1980s. Over the years, the initiative to create a walking and biking path
has been championed by dedicated community members, town employees and
government officials in Winchester, Woburn and Stoneham.
Senator Jason Lewis from Winchester has been working on the Tri-Community Greenway project since 2008, after he was first elected state representative. He was instrumental in securing $5 million in state and federal transportation dollars to fund the construction of the greenway.
“I would say this is the project I’ve been involved with the
longest and one of the most worthwhile. The fact that we are now at the
one-yard line after 30 years is exciting and satisfying,” said Lewis.
The path to the Tri-Community Greenway’s completion has been
rocky and with its share of challenges. “I’ve heard it said that building
bikeways and greenways are among the most difficult projects to get done,” said
Lewis.
Certainly that was the case with the Tri-Community Greenway. Safety issues, negotiations to acquire
easements, and concerns from abutters are just a few of the obstacles that
hindered progress. Many thought the Tri-Community Greenway would never come to
fruition.
Lewis believes what ultimately made this project successful
was the “persistence, determination and grit from what I like to call the ‘true
believers’,” he said. Foremost among these is Stoneham resident Cameron Bain.
“Cameron Bain deserves a tremendous amount of credit,” said
Lewis. “He is the person who, in the early days, had the vision for creating a
greenway and bikeway, and he has been championing it for three decades. I think
Cameron Bain was the first person I heard from after I was elected to the state
legislature. We met for breakfast at Pignone’s Cafe in Stoneham. I still
remember it.”
A Winchester resident, Lewis looks forward to using the
path. “I expect I’ll be walking or jogging. I’m not really a cyclist. Maybe
I’ll dust off my old rollerblades.”
Learn more at TriCommunityGreenway.org.