Waltham Mayor McCarthy; Lexington Selectmen Pato, Kelley, Cohen, Ciccolo, and Barry:

We ask that the leaders of Lexington and Waltham commit to adding a safe, low-stress connection for bicycle riders of all ages and abilities between the Minuteman Bikeway and the Charles River Greenway following Lexington/Waltham street. This connection could be:

• A protected bike lane/cycletrack. NACTO guidelines for two different designs are here and here, and here are some of the benefits and statistics.
• A paved multiuse path (similar to the Minuteman Bikeway), parallel to the roadway.

Either of these designs would provide physical separation between bicycle and motor vehicle traffic. Attention would have to be paid to ensure safety for all road users at intersections, especially in the section passing under Route 2.

This connection would yield a multitude of benefits for both communities:

• Lexington High School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, Waltham High School, and Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hall students would have a safe, physically separated route to bike from school to Lexington or Waltham Center and to many neighborhoods, yielding demonstrated physical and mental health benefits.
• Commercial districts along the route would experience increased business and health benefits for their workers.
• Commuters from one town to the other would have a safe route they could use to bicycle to work, expanding their range of transportation options.
• Residents of both towns would have access to a wider network of safe recreational routes. In fact, this would provide the North-South bicycle route called for in the Lexington Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Please commit to adding this bicycle route connection, and form a concrete plan to make it happen!