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| Senator Moore, Commissioner Burrington, Representative Frost, Acting Sutton Police Chief Dennis Towle and members of the DCR staff at Purgatory Chasm Visitor Center in Sutton |
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September 27, 2006... “It is time to get the bikeway project moving!” That was the message at a packed meeting Monday hosted by Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) at Riverbend Farm in Uxbridge.
Senator Moore convened the meeting with the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Commissioner Stephen H. Burrington, Representatives Jennifer M. Callahan (D-Sutton), Paul K. Frost (R-Auburn) and a host of local, state, and federal officials to discuss issues surrounding state parks in Sutton and Uxbridge. The stalled Blackstone Valley Bikeway project was at the top of the agenda.
“This bikeway has been in the pipeline for more than a decade,” Moore said while noting that the appointments last year of Burrington and MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky have helped to reenergize the project. “In recent months, both DCR and MassHighway have shown a renewed interest in finally getting this project built. I want to make sure that we turn this interest into action,” he said.
Following passage this year of legislation, sponsored by Moore and Callahan, to formally give DCR authority to establish the maintenance agreements for the completed bikeway, the two agencies have put aside many of the jurisdictional roadblocks that have slowed development and are now approaching the project in a spirit of cooperation. Together, they are working toward 25% design of the Bikeway in Uxbridge and Millville and have combined the design for the section between Uxbridge and the completed section of the bikeway in Millbury.
“The Blackstone Valley Bikeway is one of the most important recreation and community development projects in Massachusetts,” said Burrington. “I am firmly committed to getting design, construction and maintenance arrangements back on track and moving fast.”
Though Moore expressed concerns about continued delays in the section of the bikeway linking Massachusetts to Rhode Island, both he and Callahan commended the DCR Commissioner for his willingness to cooperate with MassHighway and the Legislature to move the project forward.
In addition to the discussion on the bikeway project, officials also discussed expansions plans at Purgatory State Park in Sutton, renovation of the park’s playground and the upgrading of its emergency communication system. In Uxbridge, they discussed the design of a future pedestrian walkway at Rice City Pond and the construction of a new auditorium at the River Bend Farm Visitors Center.
"It is indeed a pleasure to have the Commissioner visit the region once again to solidify both his support and commitment to the parks and recreational projects in the Blackstone Valley," said Callahan. "It is always reassuring to have the Commissioner come to the Valley to understand first hand, the priorities for the Department of Conservation and Recreation in the Valley."
“All of the parks in the Blackstone Valley are valuable cultural, recreation and economic resources,” Moore said. “Under Commissioner Burrington’s leadership, they are finally receiving the investment they deserve.”
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