THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 Page 7 ~ GUEST COMMENTARY ~ Mayor calls new Mystic River Bridge a “signature investment” By Mayor Carlo DeMaria O n behalf of the city of Everett, Massachusetts, I am writing to express my support for this joint grant application for the Mystic River Pedestrian Bridge from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the cities of Somerville and Everett. This joint grant application is requesting $650,000 towards completing the permitting and design of this project. We submit this letter of support while also supporting MassDOT’s $35 million RAISE grant application that would fund construction of the bridge and Assembly Row head house. The Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge is a signature investment of a broader multimodal strategy to connect the Everett and Somerville communities with one another, the Lower Mystic region, and Metro Boston. The Project provides a new direct, safe and comfortable connection for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling across the Mystic River between Everett and Assembly Station in Somerville. The bridge stitches the growing 25-mile network Mystic River trail system and regional pedestrian and bicycle routes. The project would also provide badly needed access for the residents of Everett and other north shore communities to the MBTA rapid transit station at Assembly A rendering of the proposed Mystic River Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge connecting Everett with Assembly Station in Somerville. (Courtesy Photo) Row in Somerville. This access to transit is also critical to enabling the production of new housing in the Boston Region as well as reducing automobile trips from the Encore Resort and associated developments along Lower Broadway. Everett alone has over 3,000 new units of housing currently either permitted or under construction with the capacity to support an additional 15,000 units of housing under its current land-use policies. This is in addition to anticipated new development along the west side of Lower Broadway that will be a direct offshoot of the Encore resort. Safe and reliable access to rapid transit and active transportation networks is critical to giving these new residents, visitors and employees access to the rest of the Boston region. Residents and visitors to Everett would have a direct pedestrian and bicycle connection to Assembly station and the regional trail network where they can access jobs and other key destinations without a car or multiple transit transfers. The city of Everett enthusiastically supports this grant request for Community Mitigation funding and asks the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to consider this worthy proposal. For Advertising with Results, Call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net
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