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Fitchburg Cutoff

The Fitchburg Cutoff (also called the Freight Cutoff) was a rail line running 2.8 miles (4.5 km) from Brighton Street (Hills Crossing station) in Belmont, Massachusetts, to Somerville Junction in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was constructed in two segments in 1870 and 1881 to connect the Lexington Branch and Central Massachusetts Railroad to the Boston and Lowell Railroad. Passenger service lasted until 1927. Freight service ended in 1979–80 to allow construction of the Red Line Northwest Extension; the line was abandoned in three sections in 1979, 1983, and 2007.

Fitchburg Cutoff
The Fitchburg Cutoff east from Highland Road in 1953
Overview
OwnerBoston and Maine Railroad
Termini
Stations3
History
Opened1870, 1881
Closed1979–80, 1983, 2007
Technical
Line length2.8 mi (4.5 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map

Hill Crossing
Fitchburg Division to North Station
North Cambridge
West Somerville
Willow Avenue
closed ca. 1887
Somerville Highlands
Somerville Junction
to North Station

All of the right-of-way, except a short section near Alewife station, has been reused for three connecting rail trails: the Fitchburg Cutoff Path from Brighton Street to Alewife station, the Alewife Linear Park from Alewife to Massachusetts Avenue, and the Somerville Community Path east of Massachusetts Avenue. The paths are part of the Mass Central Rail Trail.

Route

 
West Somerville station and grade crossings

The line was 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long, running approximately east–west.[1][2]: 278  The west end connected to the Central Massachusetts Branch at Hill Crossing station at Brighton Street in Belmont, parallel to the Fitchburg Division main line (now the MBTA Fitchburg Line). It crossed the Lexington Branch (after 1927) at grade in West Cambridge and crossed under Alewife Brook Parkway, with the pre-1927 connection to the Lexington Branch near Jackson Street. The line crossed Massachusetts Avenue and other streets at grade, then continued into Somerville, where it ran at grade through Davis Square with crossings of Holland Street and College Avenue. It crossed additional streets at grade, then passed under Lowell Street and joined the Southern Division (now the Lowell Line) at Somerville Junction.[3][4][2]: 278  After 1887, passenger stations on the line were North Cambridge (also called North Cambridge Junction and North Avenue) at Massachusetts Avenue, West Somerville (Elm Street) at Davis Square, and Somerville Highlands at Highland Road.[1][2]: 278 [3][4]

History

Passenger service

 
Map showing the Fitchburg Cutoff and nearby lines
  •   Lexington Branch and 1870-opened connector
  •   Eastern portion of Fitchburg Cutoff, opened 1870
  •   Central Massachusetts Branch and western portion of Fitchburg Cutoff, opened 1881
  •   Lexington Branch reroute, reopened 1927
  •   Central Massachusetts Branch reroute, opened 1927
  •   Fitchburg Division and Watertown Branch
  •   Southern Division

The B&L acquired control of the Lexington and Arlington Railroad (Lexington Branch) in 1869, and purchased it in 1870, to prevent it from building to Lowell and thus becoming a competitor to the B&L. In 1870, the B&L built a cutoff from Lake Street to Somerville Junction to connect the newly acquired branch to its mainline.[2]: 278  (Early plans called for the cutoff to connect to the B&L further north at Willow Bridge station.[5]) Service began on December 1, 1870.[6][7] In January 1876, William Robinson installed one of the first test applications of his track circuit signaling system on the line between Elm Street and North Avenue. On June 14, 1876, Pedro II of Brazil, who was touring the United States, travelled to Elm Street station to view the system.[8][9]

The western section was built in 1881 by the Central Massachusetts Railroad (which paralleled the Fitchburg Railroad west of Brighton Street) to connect to the B&L for access to Boston. It connected to the existing Lexington Branch cutoff near Jackson Street, west of North Cambridge station, and had no stations between Hills Crossing and North Cambridge.[2]: 216  Service began on October 1, 1881.[10] The B&L, which controlled the Central Massachusetts, was acquired by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) in 1887. The B&L became the Southern Division mainline, while the Central Massachusetts became a branchline.[2] The original Willow Avenue and Somerville Highlands stations were replaced by a new Somerville Highlands station at Highland Road around 1887.[11][12][13] In 1900, the B&M acquired the Fitchburg Railroad as its Fitchburg Division.[2]

The city of Somerville proposed to eliminate the five grade crossings on the cutoff within its borders, including the pair of College Avenue and Holland Street at Davis Square, in the early 1900s.[14] Most grade crossings on the Fitchburg Division mainline were eliminated over the next decade, but those on the cutoff were not.[15] On January 31, 1915, the West Somerville station building was moved west of Holland Street at the request of the mayor to improve conditions in Davis Square.[16][17]

In 1926–27, the B&M built two new sections of track in North Cambridge; these allowed the Lexington Branch and the Central Massachusetts Branch to use the Fitchburg mainline east of Alewife Brook Parkway.[18] On April 24, 1927, passenger service from the two branches was rerouted over these new sections and the Fitchburg mainline; North Cambridge, West Somerville, and Somerville Highlands stations were closed.[19] Although residents were opposed to the closures, the B&M wished to avoid the grade crossings on the line, which had seen 70 crashes in the previous six years.[20] The old line from Brighton Street to Somerville Junction became the freight-only Freight Cutoff (Fitchburg Cutoff); it was rebuilt with heavier rails to handle heavy freights headed to and from the new Somerville freight yard.[21] In late 1927, an additional main track was built on the Southern Division from Somerville Junction to the yard to reduce the incidence of stopped freight trains blocking crossings on the cutoff.[22]

Rapid transit conversion

 
 
Map showing the 1926-proposed extensions northwest from Lechmere (at left)

In the 1920s, the cutoff was considered the most likely route for rapid transit service to Somerville and North Cambridge. (Extension of the Cambridge–Dorchester Line – now the Red Line – north from Harvard station was not considered likely.[23]) The Report on Improved Transportation Facilities, published by the Boston Division of Metropolitan Planning in 1926, proposed extension from Lechmere to North Cambridge via the Southern Division and the 1870-built cutoff. Among the potential further extensions in the report was extension of the North Cambridge line to Bedford via the Lexington Branch.[24][25]

In 1935, the city requested that the line be grade-separated as part of a Works Progress Administration-funded grade crossing elimination program.[26] A proposal that year by a citizen's group called for a rapid transit extension to North Cambridge. A new highway was to run from the Northern Artery over the tracks at street level, then adjacent to the tracks on the lowered cutoff to connect to the existing Mohawk Trail expressway at Alewife Brook Parkway.[27] Neither project was built, and the grade crossings were not eliminated; crashes and stalled freight trains continued to be a problem.[28][29][30] Even decades after regular passenger service ended on the line, it was occasionally used as a detour route when the Fitchburg Route mainline was blocked in Somerville.[31][32]

Various proposals in the 1930s called for rapid transit use of the cutoff; some called for it to be connected to the East Boston Tunnel (now the Blue Line) rather than the Tremont Street subway (now the Green Line).[33][34][35] The 1945 and 1947 reports by the state Coolidge Commission called for extensions from Lechmere to Woburn over the Southern Division, and Harvard to Arlington over the Lexington Branch; the cutoff was not proposed as a route.[36][37][38] The 1962 North Terminal Area Study called for the Main Line (now the Orange Line) to be relocated along the B&M Western Route. It was to have a branch via the Southern Division to Woburn or Arlington (the latter also using the cutoff).[39] The 1966 Program for Mass Transportation, and subsequent reports by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), largely followed the routes laid out by the Coolidge Commission. Green Line service would be extended from Lechmere over the Southern Division, and Red Line service from Harvard (with various routings proposed to reach the Lexington Branch); the cutoff was not proposed for conversion.[40]

 
The east headhouse and busway at Davis station, built on the Cutoff alignment

The B&M replaced the Somerville yard with smaller yards elsewhere in the system in the 1970s, ending regular use of the cutoff by "as many as two-dozen mile-long freight trains daily". The route chosen for the Red Line Northwest Extension in the mid-1970s included a station at Davis Square, with the rapid transit tunnel running under a segment of the cutoff from Davis Square to east of Alewife station.[41] In April 1980, the west half of the cutoff was abandoned to allow for construction of the extension.[21][42] The eastern portion was used to haul dirt removed from the tunnel for reuse around the region; it was abandoned in 1983 except for a short section serving an industrial customer at Somervile Junction.[42][21] That segment was abandoned in 2007.[42]

Path conversion

 
Map of the trails and Red Line reuse of the Fitchburg Cutoff alignment

As part of the Red Line extension, the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) Alewife Linear Park rail trail was constructed from Alewife to Davis, opening in 1985.[43][44] Except for a short section near Alewife station, it follows the former railroad route. The Somerville Community Path opened 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from Davis Square to Cedar Street in 1992, with the 0.4-mile (0.64 km) Massachusetts Avenue–Davis Square segment of the Alewife Linear Park becoming part of the Community Path. The Minuteman Bikeway opened in 1993, connecting to the existing trail at Alewife station. The crossing of Massachusetts Avenue, which originally zig-zagged using existing crosswalks, was signalized as a direct crossing in 2011.[45] A 0.3-mile (0.48 km) extension of the Community Path to Lowell Street opened in 2015; it will be further extended along the Lowell Line in 2022 as part of the Green Line Extension project.[46]

The 0.8-mile (1.3 km) segment west of Alewife station through the Alewife Brook Reservation was used as an unpaved trail; a stone dust surface was added in the 1990s.[47] Construction of the paved Fitchburg Cutoff Path took place from September 2010 to August 2013, with a new bridge built over a stormwater management wetland at Alewife.[48][49] The planned Belmont Community Path will extend west through Belmont parallel to the Fitchburg Line, connecting with existing sections of the Mass Central Rail Trail.[50][51]

In 1985–86, an access road was constructed from the Alewife station garage to the Route 2/Alewife Brook Parkway intersection, following the cutoff alignment for about 750 feet (230 m). The Alewife Linear Park runs as a sidewalk along the access road for most of that length.[52][53]

References

  1. ^ a b Local Train Service. Boston and Maine Railroad. September 30, 1917. pp. 43–46 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN 9780942147124.
  3. ^ a b Bromley, George Washington; Bromley, Walter Scott (1895). Atlas of the City of Somerville, Massachusetts. G.W. Bromley & Co.
  4. ^ a b Bromley, George Washington; Bromley, Walter Scott (1903). Atlas of the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. G.W. Bromley & Co.
  5. ^ "[Untitled]". Boston Evening Transcript. December 1, 1869. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Boston and Lowell Railroad". American Railroad Journal. Vol. 27, no. 5. February 4, 1871. p. 122 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Boston and Maine Railroad". Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Vol. 30: Valuation Reports. Interstate Commerce Commission. 1931. p. 780 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ The Invention of the Track Circuit. American Railway Association. 1922. pp. 18–21 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ Morrison, Donald F. (Fall–Winter 2010). "William Robinson, Railroad Signal Innovator". Railroad History. Railway & Locomotive Historical Society (203): 51–55. JSTOR 43525154.
  10. ^ Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1986). Boston's Commuter Rail: Second Section. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 12. ISBN 9780938315025.
  11. ^ Map of the city of Somerville (Map). 1884 – via Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.
  12. ^ "Real Estate". Boston Globe. October 2, 1887. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.  
  13. ^ "For the use of marketmen". Boston Globe. March 15, 1887. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.  
  14. ^ "To Abolish Grade Crossings". Boston Globe. December 27, 1903. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Two Somerville Grade Crossing Improvements Nearly Complete". Boston Globe. December 16, 1912. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Somerville". Boston Globe. October 22, 1914. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Somerville". Boston Globe. February 1, 1915. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Two Railroad Lines Being Built by B. & M. for Total of Two Miles". Boston Globe. October 28, 1926. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.  
  19. ^ "Train Diversion Starts April 24th". Boston Globe. April 16, 1927. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.  
  20. ^ "Protest Giving Up 3 Stations". Boston Globe. November 10, 1926. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ a b c Roderick, John Alan (October 17, 2015). "Determination of Historic Significance For Historic Resource Projects Funded through the Community Preservation Act". Preservation. Rehabilitation, Restoration and Improvements to the Somerville Community Path (PDF). City of Somerville, Massachusetts. pp. 1, 2.
  22. ^ "Somerville Mayor Names Fire Captain". Boston Globe. October 28, 1927. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Three New Subways Planned". Boston Globe. June 25, 1922. p. 71 – via Newspapers.com.  
  24. ^ Central Transportation Planning Staff (November 15, 1993). . National Transportation Library. Archived from the original on May 5, 2001.
  25. ^ Report on Improved Transportation Facilities in Boston. Division of Metropolitan Planning. December 1926. pp. 6, 7, 34, 35. hdl:2027/mdp.39015049422689.
  26. ^ "Somerville". Boston Globe. June 11, 1935. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Rapid Transit Project Urged". Boston Globe. February 27, 1935. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Train Breaks Down, Auto Traffic Stalled". Boston Globe. December 23, 1946. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Disabled Freight Delays Traffic on Massachusetts Av". Boston Globe. January 28, 1942. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "2 Badly Hurt in Auto–Train Collision". Boston Globe. April 25, 1955. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "B. & M. Storage Shed Levelled at Marblehead". Boston Globe. September 2, 1947. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Highways Flooded". Boston Globe. November 12, 1947. pp. 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Rapid Transit Project Urged". Boston Globe. February 27, 1935. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Rapid Transit Line Proposed from Boston to Arlington". Boston Globe. December 29, 1938. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "Chapter 21: Resolve providing for an investigation by the Division of Metropolitan Planning relative to improving transportation facilities for the city of Somerville and the town of Arlington". Acts and resolves passed by the General Court in the year 1939. Secretary of the Commonwealth. 1939. p. 804 – via Internet Archive.
  36. ^ Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission (April 1, 1947). Report of the Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission. Commonwealth of Massachusetts – via Internet Archive.
  37. ^ Boston Elevated Railway; Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (April 1945), Air View: Present Rapid Transit System – Boston Elevated Railway and Proposed Extensions of Rapid Transit into Suburban Boston – via Wikimedia Commons
  38. ^ Lyons, Louis M. (April 29, 1945). "El on Railroad Lines Unified Transit Plan". Boston Globe. pp. 1, 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Barton-Aschman Associates (August 1962). North Terminal Area Study. pp. 51, 59–61 – via Internet Archive.
  40. ^ A Comprehensive Development Program for Public Transportation in the Massachusetts Bay Area. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 1966. pp. V-20–V-23 – via Internet Archive.
  41. ^ Final Environmental Impact Statement: Red Line Extension – Harvard Square to Arlington Heights. Vol. 1. Urban Mass Transportation Administration. 1977 – via Internet Archive.
  42. ^ a b c Karr, Ronald Dale (2010). Lost Railroads of New England (Third ed.). Branch Line Press. pp. 184, 197, 211. ISBN 9780942147117.
  43. ^ Moore, Alan (January 27, 2016). "CPA Proposal: 'Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration and Improvements to the Somerville Community Path'" (PDF). City of Somerville.
  44. ^ "Belmont - Cambridge - Somerville Path". City of Cambridge.
  45. ^ Gilsdorf, Ethan (June 29, 2008). "Popular bike trail gets even better". Boston Globe.
  46. ^ "Somerville: Community Path Extension Celebrated" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. August 19, 2015.
  47. ^ Allen, John S. (2005). "Fitchburg Cutoff Path, Cambridge/Belmont".
  48. ^ Malamut, Melissa (September 5, 2013). "Photos: New Bike Path From Belmont to Alewife Opens". Boston Magazine.
  49. ^ "Alewife Walking Tour" (PDF). Cambridge Pedestrian Committee. June 2017.
  50. ^ "2019 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2019. p. 8.
  51. ^ Stanton, Vincent Jr. (March–April 2020). "Community Path Began Decades Ago". Newsletter. Belmont Citizen's Forum.
  52. ^ Crocket, Douglas S. (June 13, 1985). "MBTA OKs third boat to Hingham". The Boston Globe. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.  
  53. ^ Crocket, Douglas S. (June 17, 1986). "Alewife: Worst yet to come". The Boston Globe. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.  

External links

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  Media related to Fitchburg Cutoff at Wikimedia Commons

fitchburg, cutoff, also, called, freight, cutoff, rail, line, running, miles, from, brighton, street, hills, crossing, station, belmont, massachusetts, somerville, junction, somerville, massachusetts, constructed, segments, 1870, 1881, connect, lexington, bran. The Fitchburg Cutoff also called the Freight Cutoff was a rail line running 2 8 miles 4 5 km from Brighton Street Hills Crossing station in Belmont Massachusetts to Somerville Junction in Somerville Massachusetts It was constructed in two segments in 1870 and 1881 to connect the Lexington Branch and Central Massachusetts Railroad to the Boston and Lowell Railroad Passenger service lasted until 1927 Freight service ended in 1979 80 to allow construction of the Red Line Northwest Extension the line was abandoned in three sections in 1979 1983 and 2007 Fitchburg CutoffThe Fitchburg Cutoff east from Highland Road in 1953OverviewOwnerBoston and Maine RailroadTerminiHills CrossingSomerville JunctionStations3HistoryOpened1870 1881Closed1979 80 1983 2007TechnicalLine length2 8 mi 4 5 km Track gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm Route mapLegendFitchburg Division andCentral Mass BranchHill CrossingLexington BranchFitchburg Division to North StationNorth CambridgeWest SomervilleWillow Avenue closed ca 1887Somerville HighlandsSouthern DivisionSomerville Junctionto North StationThis diagram viewtalkeditAll of the right of way except a short section near Alewife station has been reused for three connecting rail trails the Fitchburg Cutoff Path from Brighton Street to Alewife station the Alewife Linear Park from Alewife to Massachusetts Avenue and the Somerville Community Path east of Massachusetts Avenue The paths are part of the Mass Central Rail Trail Contents 1 Route 2 History 2 1 Passenger service 2 2 Rapid transit conversion 2 3 Path conversion 3 References 4 External linksRoute Edit West Somerville station and grade crossings The line was 2 8 miles 4 5 km long running approximately east west 1 2 278 The west end connected to the Central Massachusetts Branch at Hill Crossing station at Brighton Street in Belmont parallel to the Fitchburg Division main line now the MBTA Fitchburg Line It crossed the Lexington Branch after 1927 at grade in West Cambridge and crossed under Alewife Brook Parkway with the pre 1927 connection to the Lexington Branch near Jackson Street The line crossed Massachusetts Avenue and other streets at grade then continued into Somerville where it ran at grade through Davis Square with crossings of Holland Street and College Avenue It crossed additional streets at grade then passed under Lowell Street and joined the Southern Division now the Lowell Line at Somerville Junction 3 4 2 278 After 1887 passenger stations on the line were North Cambridge also called North Cambridge Junction and North Avenue at Massachusetts Avenue West Somerville Elm Street at Davis Square and Somerville Highlands at Highland Road 1 2 278 3 4 History EditPassenger service Edit Map showing the Fitchburg Cutoff and nearby lines Lexington Branch and 1870 opened connector Eastern portion of Fitchburg Cutoff opened 1870 Central Massachusetts Branch and western portion of Fitchburg Cutoff opened 1881 Lexington Branch reroute reopened 1927 Central Massachusetts Branch reroute opened 1927 Fitchburg Division and Watertown Branch Southern Division The B amp L acquired control of the Lexington and Arlington Railroad Lexington Branch in 1869 and purchased it in 1870 to prevent it from building to Lowell and thus becoming a competitor to the B amp L In 1870 the B amp L built a cutoff from Lake Street to Somerville Junction to connect the newly acquired branch to its mainline 2 278 Early plans called for the cutoff to connect to the B amp L further north at Willow Bridge station 5 Service began on December 1 1870 6 7 In January 1876 William Robinson installed one of the first test applications of his track circuit signaling system on the line between Elm Street and North Avenue On June 14 1876 Pedro II of Brazil who was touring the United States travelled to Elm Street station to view the system 8 9 The western section was built in 1881 by the Central Massachusetts Railroad which paralleled the Fitchburg Railroad west of Brighton Street to connect to the B amp L for access to Boston It connected to the existing Lexington Branch cutoff near Jackson Street west of North Cambridge station and had no stations between Hills Crossing and North Cambridge 2 216 Service began on October 1 1881 10 The B amp L which controlled the Central Massachusetts was acquired by the Boston and Maine Railroad B amp M in 1887 The B amp L became the Southern Division mainline while the Central Massachusetts became a branchline 2 The original Willow Avenue and Somerville Highlands stations were replaced by a new Somerville Highlands station at Highland Road around 1887 11 12 13 In 1900 the B amp M acquired the Fitchburg Railroad as its Fitchburg Division 2 The city of Somerville proposed to eliminate the five grade crossings on the cutoff within its borders including the pair of College Avenue and Holland Street at Davis Square in the early 1900s 14 Most grade crossings on the Fitchburg Division mainline were eliminated over the next decade but those on the cutoff were not 15 On January 31 1915 the West Somerville station building was moved west of Holland Street at the request of the mayor to improve conditions in Davis Square 16 17 In 1926 27 the B amp M built two new sections of track in North Cambridge these allowed the Lexington Branch and the Central Massachusetts Branch to use the Fitchburg mainline east of Alewife Brook Parkway 18 On April 24 1927 passenger service from the two branches was rerouted over these new sections and the Fitchburg mainline North Cambridge West Somerville and Somerville Highlands stations were closed 19 Although residents were opposed to the closures the B amp M wished to avoid the grade crossings on the line which had seen 70 crashes in the previous six years 20 The old line from Brighton Street to Somerville Junction became the freight only Freight Cutoff Fitchburg Cutoff it was rebuilt with heavier rails to handle heavy freights headed to and from the new Somerville freight yard 21 In late 1927 an additional main track was built on the Southern Division from Somerville Junction to the yard to reduce the incidence of stopped freight trains blocking crossings on the cutoff 22 Rapid transit conversion Edit Map showing the 1926 proposed extensions northwest from Lechmere at left In the 1920s the cutoff was considered the most likely route for rapid transit service to Somerville and North Cambridge Extension of the Cambridge Dorchester Line now the Red Line north from Harvard station was not considered likely 23 The Report on Improved Transportation Facilities published by the Boston Division of Metropolitan Planning in 1926 proposed extension from Lechmere to North Cambridge via the Southern Division and the 1870 built cutoff Among the potential further extensions in the report was extension of the North Cambridge line to Bedford via the Lexington Branch 24 25 In 1935 the city requested that the line be grade separated as part of a Works Progress Administration funded grade crossing elimination program 26 A proposal that year by a citizen s group called for a rapid transit extension to North Cambridge A new highway was to run from the Northern Artery over the tracks at street level then adjacent to the tracks on the lowered cutoff to connect to the existing Mohawk Trail expressway at Alewife Brook Parkway 27 Neither project was built and the grade crossings were not eliminated crashes and stalled freight trains continued to be a problem 28 29 30 Even decades after regular passenger service ended on the line it was occasionally used as a detour route when the Fitchburg Route mainline was blocked in Somerville 31 32 Various proposals in the 1930s called for rapid transit use of the cutoff some called for it to be connected to the East Boston Tunnel now the Blue Line rather than the Tremont Street subway now the Green Line 33 34 35 The 1945 and 1947 reports by the state Coolidge Commission called for extensions from Lechmere to Woburn over the Southern Division and Harvard to Arlington over the Lexington Branch the cutoff was not proposed as a route 36 37 38 The 1962 North Terminal Area Study called for the Main Line now the Orange Line to be relocated along the B amp M Western Route It was to have a branch via the Southern Division to Woburn or Arlington the latter also using the cutoff 39 The 1966 Program for Mass Transportation and subsequent reports by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA largely followed the routes laid out by the Coolidge Commission Green Line service would be extended from Lechmere over the Southern Division and Red Line service from Harvard with various routings proposed to reach the Lexington Branch the cutoff was not proposed for conversion 40 The east headhouse and busway at Davis station built on the Cutoff alignment The B amp M replaced the Somerville yard with smaller yards elsewhere in the system in the 1970s ending regular use of the cutoff by as many as two dozen mile long freight trains daily The route chosen for the Red Line Northwest Extension in the mid 1970s included a station at Davis Square with the rapid transit tunnel running under a segment of the cutoff from Davis Square to east of Alewife station 41 In April 1980 the west half of the cutoff was abandoned to allow for construction of the extension 21 42 The eastern portion was used to haul dirt removed from the tunnel for reuse around the region it was abandoned in 1983 except for a short section serving an industrial customer at Somervile Junction 42 21 That segment was abandoned in 2007 42 Path conversion Edit Map of the trails and Red Line reuse of the Fitchburg Cutoff alignment As part of the Red Line extension the 1 3 mile 2 1 km Alewife Linear Park rail trail was constructed from Alewife to Davis opening in 1985 43 44 Except for a short section near Alewife station it follows the former railroad route The Somerville Community Path opened 0 6 miles 0 97 km from Davis Square to Cedar Street in 1992 with the 0 4 mile 0 64 km Massachusetts Avenue Davis Square segment of the Alewife Linear Park becoming part of the Community Path The Minuteman Bikeway opened in 1993 connecting to the existing trail at Alewife station The crossing of Massachusetts Avenue which originally zig zagged using existing crosswalks was signalized as a direct crossing in 2011 45 A 0 3 mile 0 48 km extension of the Community Path to Lowell Street opened in 2015 it will be further extended along the Lowell Line in 2022 as part of the Green Line Extension project 46 The 0 8 mile 1 3 km segment west of Alewife station through the Alewife Brook Reservation was used as an unpaved trail a stone dust surface was added in the 1990s 47 Construction of the paved Fitchburg Cutoff Path took place from September 2010 to August 2013 with a new bridge built over a stormwater management wetland at Alewife 48 49 The planned Belmont Community Path will extend west through Belmont parallel to the Fitchburg Line connecting with existing sections of the Mass Central Rail Trail 50 51 In 1985 86 an access road was constructed from the Alewife station garage to the Route 2 Alewife Brook Parkway intersection following the cutoff alignment for about 750 feet 230 m The Alewife Linear Park runs as a sidewalk along the access road for most of that length 52 53 Fitchburg Cutoff Path The Route 2 access road with a sidewalk serving as part of the Alewife Linear Park A typical section of the Alewife Linear Park The 1992 built portion of the Somerville Community Path The 2015 built portion of the Somerville Community PathReferences Edit a b Local Train Service Boston and Maine Railroad September 30 1917 pp 43 46 via Wikimedia Commons a b c d e f g Karr Ronald Dale 2017 The Rail Lines of Southern New England 2 ed Branch Line Press ISBN 9780942147124 a b Bromley George Washington Bromley Walter Scott 1895 Atlas of the City of Somerville Massachusetts G W Bromley amp Co a b Bromley George Washington Bromley Walter Scott 1903 Atlas of the City of Cambridge Massachusetts G W Bromley amp Co Untitled Boston Evening Transcript December 1 1869 p 2 via Newspapers com Boston and Lowell Railroad American Railroad Journal Vol 27 no 5 February 4 1871 p 122 via Google Books Boston and Maine Railroad Interstate Commerce Commission Reports Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States Vol 30 Valuation Reports Interstate Commerce Commission 1931 p 780 via Google Books The Invention of the Track Circuit American Railway Association 1922 pp 18 21 via Internet Archive Morrison Donald F Fall Winter 2010 William Robinson Railroad Signal Innovator Railroad History Railway amp Locomotive Historical Society 203 51 55 JSTOR 43525154 Humphrey Thomas J Clark Norton D 1986 Boston s Commuter Rail Second Section Boston Street Railway Association p 12 ISBN 9780938315025 Map of the city of Somerville Map 1884 via Norman B Leventhal Map Center Real Estate Boston Globe October 2 1887 p 9 via Newspapers com For the use of marketmen Boston Globe March 15 1887 p 2 via Newspapers com To Abolish Grade Crossings Boston Globe December 27 1903 p 35 via Newspapers com Two Somerville Grade Crossing Improvements Nearly Complete Boston Globe December 16 1912 p 10 via Newspapers com Somerville Boston Globe October 22 1914 p 8 via Newspapers com Somerville Boston Globe February 1 1915 p 4 via Newspapers com Two Railroad Lines Being Built by B amp M for Total of Two Miles Boston Globe October 28 1926 p 36 via Newspapers com Train Diversion Starts April 24th Boston Globe April 16 1927 p 6 via Newspapers com Protest Giving Up 3 Stations Boston Globe November 10 1926 p 14 via Newspapers com a b c Roderick John Alan October 17 2015 Determination of Historic Significance For Historic Resource Projects Funded through the Community Preservation Act Preservation Rehabilitation Restoration and Improvements to the Somerville Community Path PDF City of Somerville Massachusetts pp 1 2 Somerville Mayor Names Fire Captain Boston Globe October 28 1927 p 7 via Newspapers com Three New Subways Planned Boston Globe June 25 1922 p 71 via Newspapers com Central Transportation Planning Staff November 15 1993 The Transportation Plan for the Boston Region Volume 2 National Transportation Library Archived from the original on May 5 2001 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities in Boston Division of Metropolitan Planning December 1926 pp 6 7 34 35 hdl 2027 mdp 39015049422689 Somerville Boston Globe June 11 1935 p 13 via Newspapers com Rapid Transit Project Urged Boston Globe February 27 1935 p 28 via Newspapers com Train Breaks Down Auto Traffic Stalled Boston Globe December 23 1946 p 2 via Newspapers com Disabled Freight Delays Traffic on Massachusetts Av Boston Globe January 28 1942 p 23 via Newspapers com 2 Badly Hurt in Auto Train Collision Boston Globe April 25 1955 p 1 via Newspapers com B amp M Storage Shed Levelled at Marblehead Boston Globe September 2 1947 p 3 via Newspapers com Highways Flooded Boston Globe November 12 1947 pp 1 3 via Newspapers com Rapid Transit Project Urged Boston Globe February 27 1935 p 28 via Newspapers com Rapid Transit Line Proposed from Boston to Arlington Boston Globe December 29 1938 p 5 via Newspapers com Chapter 21 Resolve providing for an investigation by the Division of Metropolitan Planning relative to improving transportation facilities for the city of Somerville and the town of Arlington Acts and resolves passed by the General Court in the year 1939 Secretary of the Commonwealth 1939 p 804 via Internet Archive Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission April 1 1947 Report of the Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission Commonwealth of Massachusetts via Internet Archive Boston Elevated Railway Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities April 1945 Air View Present Rapid Transit System Boston Elevated Railway and Proposed Extensions of Rapid Transit into Suburban Boston via Wikimedia Commons Lyons Louis M April 29 1945 El on Railroad Lines Unified Transit Plan Boston Globe pp 1 14 via Newspapers com Barton Aschman Associates August 1962 North Terminal Area Study pp 51 59 61 via Internet Archive A Comprehensive Development Program for Public Transportation in the Massachusetts Bay Area Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 1966 pp V 20 V 23 via Internet Archive Final Environmental Impact Statement Red Line Extension Harvard Square to Arlington Heights Vol 1 Urban Mass Transportation Administration 1977 via Internet Archive a b c Karr Ronald Dale 2010 Lost Railroads of New England Third ed Branch Line Press pp 184 197 211 ISBN 9780942147117 Moore Alan January 27 2016 CPA Proposal Preservation Rehabilitation Restoration and Improvements to the Somerville Community Path PDF City of Somerville Belmont Cambridge Somerville Path City of Cambridge Gilsdorf Ethan June 29 2008 Popular bike trail gets even better Boston Globe Somerville Community Path Extension Celebrated Press release Massachusetts Department of Transportation August 19 2015 Allen John S 2005 Fitchburg Cutoff Path Cambridge Belmont Malamut Melissa September 5 2013 Photos New Bike Path From Belmont to Alewife Opens Boston Magazine Alewife Walking Tour PDF Cambridge Pedestrian Committee June 2017 2019 MassTrails Grant Awards Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2019 p 8 Stanton Vincent Jr March April 2020 Community Path Began Decades Ago Newsletter Belmont Citizen s Forum Crocket Douglas S June 13 1985 MBTA OKs third boat to Hingham The Boston Globe p 50 via Newspapers com Crocket Douglas S June 17 1986 Alewife Worst yet to come The Boston Globe p 18 via Newspapers com External links EditKML file edit help Template Attached KML Fitchburg CutoffKML is not from Wikidata Media related to Fitchburg Cutoff at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fitchburg Cutoff amp oldid 1125101160, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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