By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
9/4/08

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The new bike path would be on the Turners Pond side of the Central Avenue. Heller said the street improvements would take into account the off-road space currently used for Hoosic Club events and include a parking shoulder.
Heller said the project was conceived some time ago by former Town Administrator David Colton and former Planning Director Aaron Henry. It was to be a leg of a bikeway from the Neponset to the Blue Hills. The concept includes a path along Pine Tree Brook to Blue Hills Parkway, then to Canton Avenue and on to the reservation.
Selectmen Chair Kathy Fagan says the path will serve to encourage cycling, for students who might use Central Avenue to get to Pierce Middle School or the Glover School and for residents looking to save gas. The Central Avenue path would link with the bike path already on Brook Road.
Paul Melanson of the Columbine Cliffs Neighborhood Association said though the group had yet to discuss the Central Avenue project, it has in the past been in favor of the bike paths along the Neponset and Brook Road. He said he supports cycling initiatives.
Some other residents have expressed concerns about the bike paths and the issues they might have on public safety.
The estimated $1.75 million project, part of MassHighway’s Transportation Improvement Program, may be paid for by the state if the town covers design costs. It would be funded through state Chapter 90 money.
Design costs were estimated at $150,000 if an outside consultant is hired. Instead, the Warrant Committee added $50,000 to the DPW’s FY09 budget to hire a new engineer to design the project. The position existed until a year ago when it was cut from the budget.
Heller plans to advertise for the engineer this month. The employee would be responsible for drafting construction plans around town and working on water and sewer projects.