FRAMINGHAM – The city hosted a community meeting last night on plans to extend the Bruce Freeman Trail into Framingham, but don’t get your hopes up that our section of the trail will be finished anytime soon.
The meeting was an “unofficial” local discussion about the 25% design plan, with the official public hearing likely to take place in December. The current timeline has the 75% design slated for March 2027, 100% design in August, and project readiness by May 2028 . . . but state funding for construction was pushed back from 2029 to 2030.
Framingham Director of Planning & Community Development Sarkis Sarkisian said he was angry about the delay and that the mayor will try to lobby to get funding put back sooner.
Last night’s meeting only covered the first phase of the trail extension into Framingham, which will go from the Sudbury section to Frost Street. A second phase is then expected to continue from Frost Street to Route 9. The state Department of Transportation asked the city to split the project into two parts.
The draft plan for phase 1 presented to the community by consultants BETA Group Inc. includes
A 12-foot-wide paved shared-use path for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized recreation
Road crossings on Water Street near the McAuliffe Library and on Frost Street
A new parking lot with around 30 spaces next to the library on the other side of the building from the existing lot
Screening, bike racks, and benches
Fixing some major drainage issues in the area, where some homes face serious flooding and require expensive floodplain insurance
While most public comments supported the trail, a number of speakers sought modifications. Several speakers expressed concern about high-speed electric bikes on other trails and how the city could address potential dangers to pedestrians.
Others noted that the city should not look at the Freeman Trail as a stand-alone project, but also consider how nearby residents will get to and from the trail safely. Several urged officials to connect it with other infrastructure such as the Cochituate Rail Trail.
District 3 City Councilor Mary Kate Feeney, who also co-founded Friends of Framingham Trails, said she is very excited about the project but urged the city to help the Nobscot neighborhood prepare. As of now, she said, the area is not ready for the trail. “Nobscot is supposed to be a walkable village,” she noted, but bike lanes were not included when the Nobscot intersection was re-done; and other areas are also not yet bike or pedestrian friendly.
Former Planning Board Chair Carol Spack spoke against a new parking lot for the trail, saying the city should focus instead on pedestrians and encourage nearby residents to walk to the trail. The biggest land use in Framingham is pavement, she noted, while pedestrians are “the most abused class” in city transportation planning.
She also urged considering other, more natural materials besides pavement for the trail (although that seems unlikely given that the entire rest of the trail is already paved).
The meeting was recorded and will be shown on the Government Channel sometime in the future. In addition, last night’s slide presentation will be posted on the Framingham city website.
Portion of a slide shown at last night’s meeting showing how much of the trail is already in Sudbury, Concord, Acton, Carlisle, Westford, and Chelmsford:
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