MARBLEHEAD — Residents filled out a summer survey listing ways to improve the rail trail and now town officials want them to help fine-tune those suggestions.
The survey recommendations are listed on the town website at bit.ly/MarbleheadTrailOpenHouse along with ways residents can offer more detailed suggestions.
The open house summarizes recommendations, including street crossing safety features, trail cross section and surface enhancements, and new amenities for trail users.
The survey and the online open house were created over the last several months by officials and Toole Design, the town’s trail consultant.
“Based on the survey circulated throughout the Marblehead community during the summer of 2020, the project team has drafted recommendations to advance these goals and ensure that the rail trail will be enjoyed for years to come,” stated the trail upgrade project description.
Safety is one of the leading upgrade recommendations.
“Over the summer, we heard from many Marblehead community members that the eight street crossings on the Marblehead Rail Trail are unsafe and difficult to navigate, and almost half of the respondents to the survey said they would like to see these crossings upgraded,” stated the introduction to the open invitation.
The survey raised concerns about speeding drivers and drivers who fail to yield to trail users attempting to use crossings. Survey respondents also said cable barriers across the trail entrances leave narrow openings for people entering the trail to pass through, making access difficult or impossible for some users.
Some crosswalks at street crossings are misaligned with the trail, according to the recommendations, and vegetation can block sightlines at crossings.
In assessing recommendations and looking for more detailed ideas from residents and trail users, Toole and town officials are looking for ways to strike balances between the trail’s popularity and efforts to retain what the open house description describes as the trail’s “sense of seclusion.”
The survey identified challenges users experience, including drainage problems on the trail surface leading to muddiness and puddles; trail sections too narrow for comfortable passing, worsened by overgrown vegetation; protruding rocks and inconsistent surfaces along the unpaved trail.
One idea the town is tentatively examining is to create “amenity nodes” at Bessom Street; West Shore Drive; Pleasant Street and Rockaway Avenue. The nodes are defined as gateways to the trail and places where information kiosks and direction signs are best located.
“The Town of Marblehead is pursuing a grant this fall for the implementation of some of these improvements from the MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program, which supports municipalities’ efforts to create safe and accessible streets for users of all modes. The grant, if received, will be awarded in early 2021, at which time design may begin. The Town may also apply for more grant funding from MassTrails in the future,” stated the open house website.