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Dear Legislator:
The Governor's bill for infrastructure investments - House No. 4336 is currently being considered by the legislature. The bill is an excellent opportunity to make some important investments in the Blackstone Valley. The Blackstone Heritage Corridor supports the following projects for investment.
1. The continuation of the Blackstone River Bikeway/Greenway in Blackstone, already designed by DCR and on state-owned land, is ready for construction at $8.3 million. This would link the existing bikeway/greenway from South Uxbridge to the Blackstone River Bikeway in Rhode Island.
2. Emergency Restoration of the Blackstone Canal segment within the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Northbridge and Uxbridge between Hartford Avenue in Uxbridge and Church Street Extension (Plummer’s Landing) in Northbridge. Funding for the project in the amount of $5.590 million was authorized in Section 2A of Chapter 79 of the Acts of 2014. BHC has funded an engineering update of this project initially recommended in 2011. It is a key feature of the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge and Northbridge. The new amount ($3.5 million) needed for this project is of considerable urgency because erosion of the Blackstone Canal towpath in this section is ongoing.
3. The Blackstone River Bikeway/Greenway needs further design funding to link the current bikeway in South Uxbridge with the Millbury segment of the Bikeway/Greenway. Design and construction of Uxbridge Segment 2 would make an important step toward completion of this multi-use path that will link with the Blackstone River Bikeway/Greenway in Rhode Island. An estimate for this segment is $8 million. BHC has funded a study of the route and is working with Uxbridge and Central Mass. Regional Planning Commission to advance the project to design.
4. Construction of the link between the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) in Uxbridge and Douglas. DCR has completed the design for this project estimated to cost about $8 million. It would substantially enhance the existing Blackstone River Bikeway/Greenway in South Uxbridge by adding a link to the trail through Douglas State Forest. The project is on state-owned land and near final design. One issue yet to be finalized is that the DCR planners appear to support a paved surface, however, the Bay State Trail Riders prefer a different material for the safety of their horses.
I hope you will do everything in your power to see that these projects receive funding authorization in the current session. Please let me know if you are able and willing to take the lead in advancing these amendments to the Chair of the Joint Committee of Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, and with the full House and Senate. Thank you.
Sincerely,
INSERT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
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