Community Development > Linear Park Redesign

Linear Park Redesign

Linear Park, located in North Cambridge between Alewife Station and the Cambridge-Somerville city line, is a popular open space corridor for commuting and recreation. The park and pathway were completed in 1985 as part of the Red Line Extension project by the MBTA, and much of the length of the park is located over the Red Line Tunnel between Davis Square in Somerville and Alewife Station.

Given its age and condition, the City of Cambridge is undertaking the redesign and reconstruction of Linear Park between the Russell Field Fieldhouse and the Cambridge-Somerville city line, just north of Mass Ave. The goal of the project is to create a cohesive open space corridor that provides increased access for the community and improved opportunities for passive recreation and leisure, play, enjoyment of the landscape, and a reliable transportation corridor for commuters and recreational park users.

The existing paved path surface has deteriorated since it opened roughly 35 years ago. Additionally, the path redesign project intends to:

rehabilitate the landscape through new plantings and trees
address drainage issues
replace older light poles
widen the path where possible – the current width is not operating at an acceptable level of service for path users on busy days
address known areas of bicycle and pedestrian conflicts
integrate art and placemaking into the park redesign
enhance the park’s role as both a connection and a destination for people of all ages

Public engagement activities are underway. See below for a list of upcoming public engagement events.

We would like to hear from you about your ideas for the site. Use the button below to submit your thoughts about the Linear Park design project.

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The Latest

November 2024 Update

Linear Park Draft Construction Plans

Please use the following links below to download PDF versions of the different pieces of the construction plan set. Because the file sizes of the entire planset is so large, we’ve broken them down into more manageable pieces of the overall planset.

Construction Plans - These plans show demolition notes, paved main path area, stonedust secondary path areas, and other park elements like boulders, benches, lighting, and water fountains.
Landscape Materials Plans - These plans with the materials legend show the different site furnishings, site lighting, landscape elements, fences, and stone walls.
Landscape Planting Plans - These plans show the different grasses, shrubs, trees, and irrigated ornamental beds.
Landscape Soils Plans - These plans show the soils that will be amended for healthier plantins and some areas where soil will be replaced because it is in poor health.
Cost Estimate - This document includes a detailed breakdown of cost for each item needed to refurbish and reconstruct the park and pathway.

What are some things the City is doing to respond to previous comments about the Linear Park Redesign project?

Tree removals

No change. We are not removing any healthy mature trees. We are removing 5 deteriorated Cherry trees which will be replaced with Cherry trees.

Tree and root protection

We have standard tree protection fencing details incorporated into drawings and specifications. We're taking a belt and suspenders approach to trunk and root protection: we've included language to limit the contractors access to critical tree root zones. We've modified details to limit disturbance and address tree and root protection issues. Specifications and additional notes were added to require oversight and approval from City staff before earthworks or excavation. And we're requiring the Contractor to prepare and submit monthly tree inspections. Any issues must be reported immediately with proposed remedial actions. Finally, we are requiring regular watering and deep root fertilization to minimize stress on the existing trees.

Soil improvements

Air spading / decompaction
Amending soil
Soil replacement in limited locations (closer to Somerville line)

Infrastructure installation

All irrigation water lines and electrical conduit are in a shared trench to minimize disruptions to roots. The trench is located under the paved path. Some modifications to bench and trash can locations were completed to minimize disruptions to roots.

Design flexibility to field conditions

Contractor required to work with City staff if tree, root, or other conflicts will require slight modifications to plans.

City construction phase oversight

A Dept. of Public Works Clerk on site every day overseeing construction. City Forestry department / arborists are available for review and decision making in the field. Weekly construction coordination meetings will keep everyone on top of recent activity and what to expect for the week ahead.

If you have any problems downloading these plans, or want a link to download the entire large planset all together, which includes some information on specifications, and civil details, please email Charlie at: ccreagh@cambridgema.gov.

May 2024 Update

As a follow up to requests to have more information on why the City is proposing a slight widening to 14' along Linear Park, we summarized research from three publications by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). To view the short slide deck, please use this link. Widening to 14' in locations where we have sufficient space will reduce conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists, improve the path user experience, and make it more comfortable for pedestrians to walk along the path.

October 2023 Update

As we've been able to verify information in the field and further develop the linear park designs, here a few things of note you'll see in the updated path design plan. To view a PDF of the updated design plans, please use this link.

This plan shows just the paved portions of the path. We're working on developing updated plans showing all elements of the project including plantings, new lighting, seating, trash & recycling, and wayfinding. These will be shared with the public when complete.
This design update shows a more detailed look at the path width and where the path can be slightly widened based on existing tree locations.
The plan shows anticipated removals of 5 unhealthy cherry trees. (The plan does not show the anticipated 100+ new trees.)

Past Meetings

City Council Neighborhood and Long-term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee - November 15, 2023

To view a PDF of the meeting presentation, please use this link.
This presentation discussed ley themes from public engagement, how we used public input to craft the vision for the project, the ways we used that vision to create design plans, and how we are ensuring the continued protection of trees

Committee on Public Planting - October 11, 2023

To view a PDF of the meeting presentation materials in a PDF, please use this link.
This CPP meeting reviewed many of the items presented at the June public meeting and reviewed the October 2023 updated draft design plans.

Advanced Design Public Meeting #3 - June 8, 2023

To view a PDF of the full roll plan of the design plans, please use this link.
To view the meeting presentation materials in an accessible PDF, please use this link
To view the video recording of the presentation and the questions asked and answered after the presentation, please use this link and case-sensitive passcode: M42+O+x9
To view the comments, questions, and answers, you can see the PDF report here

Conceptual Design Public Meeting #2 - November 16, 2022

To view the meeting presentation materials in an accessible PDF, you can see the slide deck here
To view the comments, questions, and answers, you can see the PDF report here
To view the zoom poll questions about preferences for different design options, you can view the brief slide deck here

Introductory Public Presentation #1 - June 7, 2022

To view the pre-recorded portion of the presentation, please use this link to open the YouTube video recording: https://youtu.be/gb3BTRQxBA8
To view the meeting presentation materials in an accessible PDF, You can view a PDF of the slides here.

Past Events

On Thursday, June 22, 2023, staff from the Community Development Department and staff from Neighborways Design hosted a tabling event on Linear Park to review the advanced design plans and answer questions. We had a great turnout!
On Thursday, June 23, 2022, staff from the Community Development Department attended a community open house event at 362 Rindge Ave. We handed out maps of the project area and discussed the two path projects with residents.
On Saturday, June 18, 2022, the City hosted a Paint the Path party at the Linear Park crossing at Harvey Street. The family-friendly event included opportunities to share your ideas for the path redesign.
On Saturday, June 4, 2022, approximately 25 people joined us for the second community site walk exploring both project sites. Members of the Community Engagement Team joined us to promote public engagement among folks who speak Spanish, Bangal, Haitian-Creole, and Amharic.
On May 5, 2022, approximately 50 members of the community attended the first project site walks.
On December 15, 2021, staff from the Community Development Department attended a community open house event at 362 Rindge Ave. We handed out maps of the project area and engaged area residents.
November 2021 – HDR and Halvorson retained as consultants to aid in the planning and design of the path.

Path Location Map

The path project is taking place between the southwest corner of Russell Field and the Cambridge-Somerville municipal border near Cameron Ave. View this map to see the extents of the path design and construction project.

Project Vision

The Linear Park Redesign project will reimagine a beloved and highly used community park and pathway.

The outcomes of a redesigned Linear Park are:

to be an inclusive space and accommodating for all users
create an engaging community open space
strengthen and add neighborhood connections
be a resilient, and biodiverse landscape suited for a changing climate

To enhance the experience of path users and park visitors, we will:

include playful and creative features
add new seating for all to enjoy
widen and differentiate paths of travel, where possible

We encourage you to give us your feedback on the vision above.

What is a project vision?

A vision is a broad statement about the goals of a project. Project goals are general statements about what path users and neighbors hope to achieve with the completed multi-use path project.

How did we craft the vision?

We received hundreds of survey responses, comments at in-person events, and additional feedback during remote meetings. This feedback has helped shape the draft vision.

Contact

For more information, please email project manager Charlie Creagh at Ccreagh@cambridgema.gov or Bill Deignan at Wdeignan@cambridgema.gov.