Mary Ellen Welch Greenway
| Mary Ellen Welch Greenway | |
|---|---|
MBTA Blue Line |
The Mary Ellen Welch Greenway (formerly the East Boston Greenway) is a
open space areas in East Boston, including Piers Park, Memorial Stadium, Bremen Street Park, Wood Island Bay Marsh and Belle Isle Marsh. When completed, the line is expected to be 3.3 miles in length.[1]
History
Originally, the line in
The Trust for Public Land started the process to acquire the abandoned rail corridor to transform into a greenway and bike trail.[2] In 1997, The Trust for Public Land received 1.2 miles of the corridor as a donation from Conrail. Mitigation funds from the Massachusetts Highway Department and EPA paid for the clean-up costs. A year later the first 1/2 mile segment was transferred from The Trust for Public Land to the city.[2]
The entire community was not necessarily supportive of the idea at first, as the local chamber of commerce wanted to use the route as a truck route to Logan International Airport. This idea gained little support, and construction of the East Boston Greenway began in 1999. In 2007, the Greenway opened.[3]
Points of interest
The Greenway passes through
Airport Station. Free shuttle buses connect the station to the airport terminals. A branch off of the Greenway leads to the East Boston Memorial Stadium and to the Logan Airport Rental Car Center, where there is also bicycle parking. Off of Bremen Street, the East Boston YMCA is located at the former engine house for the line, and was constructed in 1909.[3]
See also
- Emerald Necklace, a similar greenway also in Boston
- Bremen Street Park, a park along the East Boston Greenway
- Piers Park, the park at the harborside Greenway terminus.
References
- Boston Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ a b "East Boston Greenway". The Trust for Public Land.
- ^ a b "East Boston Walking Tour" (PDF). Northeastern University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2013.