Category Archives: Mascoma River Greenway Updates

Lebanon’s Walk Bike Ride News

Posted on May 10, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Walk Bike Ride Leb News

As more residents and visitors elect to walk and bike around the city, Lebanon is committed to making our streets safe and inviting for non-motorized users. The purpose of the Walk, Bike, Ride Leb (WBRL) Plan is to create a safe, comfortable, and connected walking and bicycling network in the City of Lebanon, including connections to public transportation. The WBRL Plan is founded on a review of existing data and plans, and the incorporation of diverse public input. It identifies the community’s highest priority multimodal improvements. Now near completion, the final draft of the WBRL plan is poised as a key tool to inform how walking and bicycling improvements are factored into City budgets and Capital Improvements Programs, which grant opportunities are pursued, and how new and existing developments can be connected to the walking and bicycling network.

To provide comments on the WBRL Plan, email rebecca.owens@lebanonnh.gov or attend one of the following public meetings where the plan will be considered for endorsement and adoption. Full meeting details will be available at LebanonNH.gov/LIVE.

  • 6:30pm May 22, 2023 – Planning Board
  • 7:00pm June 7, 2023 – City Council

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Posted in Good News!, Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Modes of Transport, Next Steps, Visioning the Future

Lebanon and State of NH Reach Westboro Rail Yard Agreement

Posted on September 27, 2022 by | 2 comments

Westboro Rail Yard

After years of stasis on making land in the Westboro Rail Yard publicly available, state and city officials last week met to talk over a potential sale of 6.7 acres of state-owned land along the Connecticut that could, at some point, become a park and provide a link through West Leb to the Mascoma River Greenway and Northern Rail Trail. They reached a tentative agreement, reports Patrick Adrian in the Valley News: The city will buy the land for an undetermined price, the state will remove existing contaminants. There is a long list of official sign-offs to come.

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Posted in Good News!, Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Next Steps, Progress!

The Wild Beauty of the MRG!

Posted on August 27, 2022 by | 3 comments

It has been several years since I”ve been able to get out to the western end of the MRG . . . and I had forgotten the wild beauty . . . who would guess there would be such vistas between Mechanic Street and Mascoma/Old Pine Cemetery Road?!?

Riverbend – looking North
Riverbend – looking South
Fields of Goldenrod – as far as the eye can see

How did I get there with my bone-on-bone knees? By Trishaw, piloted by a delightfiul pilot, Amy Chan. Amy is on the Board of the Northern Rail Trail; the NRT. has been collaborating with Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks to bring the international program Cycling Without Age to Lebanon.

Trishaw Pilot Amy Chan

It was a beautiful day and Amy and I met at the MRG tunnel and headed west to the end at Glen Road. I wish I had taken photos of all the people we met along the trail! Lots of walkers and bikers, a scooter or two, babies and toddlers in strollers, and two little ones on their pedal-free balance bikes. There was so much to see, including this trailside Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Queen Anne’s Lace.

“The black swallowtail caterpillar feeds on many different plants in the Apiaceae, or carrot family, including Queen Anne’s lace, celery, parsley, carrots, dill, and parsnip.”

For those of us with mobility or stamina issues, this Trishaw program is a wonderful gift and it will be available as soon as Trishaw pilots have been trained. You can learn about becoming a Trishaw pilot and upcoming trainings by contacting Sean.dittrich@gmail.com. To support this program in other ways, contact Amyjwchan@gmail.com.

Thanks to Amy, the NRT, and Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks for bringing this great program to Lebanon! Stay tuned for next steps once we have trained pilots . . . 30 volunteers have already signed up!

http://www.fnrt.org

https://www.facebook.com/FNRTNH

To learn more about Cycling Without Age see: https://cyclingwithoutage.com/

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Posted in Good News!, Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Modes of Transport

MRG connection to the NRT

Posted on August 5, 2022 by | 2 comments

The City of Lebanon has completed paving from Spencer Street to Bank St Extension including a safety-forward pedestrian crossing beacon. This crosswalk connects the MRG /tunnel and new multiuse path to the Northern Rail Trail all the way to Boscawen, NH.

Thanks to the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail for this image!

https://www.fnrt.org/

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Posted in Good News!, Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Progress!

Tunnel Art

Posted on December 4, 2021 by | Leave a comment

It was good to see so many people gathered in the tunnel for the unveiling of the new art work.

“Ironwood Tree“

“Pollinators” – depicting some of the life along the Mascoma River Greenway.

These are the first two pieces of the tunnel vision – more art is being planned for the tunnel and the MRG!

(Did you wonder about the inclusion of a fish on the Pollinator piece? Here is research from the University of Florida: “Scientists have discovered that fish indirectly help spread pollen among flowers near the water. That’s because they eat dragonfly larva, which live in freshwater ponds and other water bodies. Adult dragonflies are major predators of bees, butterflies and other insect pollinators. The result is a simple but unexpected cascade: The more fish, the fewer dragonflies, the more bees and butterflies, the more plant pollination, reproduction and seeds.” So it would seem that fish are actually partners in pollination, thought they themselves do not pollinate . . .and it is the dragonflies in the art work that we might question.) More

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Posted in Events, Mascoma River Greenway Updates

Reverberations in the MRG Tunnel!

Posted on August 14, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Akwaaba means Welcome; it is a twi word, spoken by the Akan tribe of Ghana. All were welcome as the Akwaaba Ensemble brought their good energy to the MRG. chanting and drumming their way though the tunnel. leading a parade of local drummers, dancers, and enthusiasts, the echoes resounding off the tunnel walls.

It was great to see so many joining in on the fun!

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You can tell from the two children on the left in the photo above, that the sound was impressive! The group paraded to the tunnel’s end and then turned and headed back to Colburn Park for more high energy music and dance!

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Posted in Events, Mascoma River Greenway Updates

The Tunnel is Now Open!

Posted on July 9, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The Grand Opening Ceremony was postponed until July 15th . . . but the tunnel is now open . . . and there is no forecast of rain for the weekend! Hope you can get out and enjoy it! With lights!

– Thanks to Doreen Schweizer for this photo.

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Posted in Good News!, Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Progress!

New Life!

Posted on April 2, 2021 by | Leave a comment
Alder Catkins – photo by Sarah Riley

Have you spotted new life on the MRG this Spring?

These flowers are Alder catkins with elongated male catkins on the same plant as shorter female catkins. They often emerge before leaves appear and are mainly wind-pollinated, but also visited by bees.

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Posted in Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Plant Life of the MRG

Mascoma River Greenway Survey Results

Posted on February 3, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) has finished compiling and analyzing the data for the Mascoma River Greenway. Survey results are hosted here at www.uvlsrpc.org/rail-trails. Many thanks to Colin Smith for his work on the dashboard. #railtotrail #MRG #railstotrails #railstotrailsconservancy #connectlebtowestleb 

MRG Survey results for data including rail trail data for the MRG.

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Posted in Mascoma River Greenway Updates, Uncategorized, Visioning the Future

Precious Cargo!

Posted on May 30, 2020 by | 2 comments

 

It’s been fun to see so many children on the MRG of late.  They come by strollers, tricycles, scooters, bikes with training wheels  .  .  . and child chariots.  Such precious cargo!

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Posted in Greenways for Health, Mascoma River Greenway Updates