Will Brownsberger -- State Representative, Democrat, 24th Middlesex District

I had been Selectman in Belmont for only a couple of months, when, in the major June 1998 rain storm, a constituent called me late one night to come see the raw sewage rising out of the sink in his finished basement.

The Governor called me on Thursday with they welcome news that he has decided to allocate federal stimulus funding to expedite the construction of the Alewife Greenway — a great improvement in the bikepath that runs from Alewife Station to the Mystic River.

Below is a text that I expect to deliver in rough form this afternoon at a rally in Concord for action on climate change sponsored by 350.org.

Bids were opened yesterday (October 14) for the bikepath that will run from Brighton Street in Belmont through Alewife station to Somerville.

I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately that read as follows:

“Please support HB 3515, the updated Bottle Bill. It has been the most successful recycling program in the Commonwealth. Over 30 billion containers have been recycled since it became law in 1983.

For over 5 years, the Town of Belmont has been designing the reconstruction of Belmont Street and Trapelo Road — the busiest traffic corridor in town.

State-federal funding for the actual construction may still be five years away, but the good news is that the state has finally placed the project in its long term funding plans.

Latest new: Richard Sullivan, Commissioner of DCR, has extended pool closing to August 30 for many pools, statewide.

The T is now starting a conversation about choices between fair increases and service reductions. See local details and hearing schedules here.

The McCrehan pool on Rindge Avenue opened on June 27 and will remain open until August 16, according to DCR’s current plans. It’s looking much better than it has for a while.

The single most immediate priority for flood control is assuring that the Alewife Brook and the Mystic River have the capacity to drain large rainstorms. Recent progress is encouraging.

For the past 10 years, I have been among conservation advocates hoping to find a way to preserve the Silver Maple Forest property adjacent to the Alewife reservation. We are still struggling.

Given that the potential for road congestion reduction in the area is limited, it makes sense to improve bicycle and pedestrian alternatives for local residents. Several projects are in progress or on the drawing board.

Slow progress continues in efforts to address traffic issues in the Alewife area, one of the most congested areas in the state. Expectations for improvement should remain low.

Yesterday, I sat in on a meeting where the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization struggled to define the long-term parameters of a financially realistic Transportation Improvement Plan. Locally, the tight planning environment will likely mean further delay in the Belmont-Trapelo Corridor project (my primary concern in the meeting) and perhaps other projects.

One of the most significant pieces of legislation that we passed in the 2007-8 session was the Oceans Act, which contemplates a science based planning process for the waters along the Massachusetts coast. The Oceans Advisory Commission is seeking input on a draft plan.

The final Senate budget is based on a lower revenue estimate than the House budget and includes lower numbers for local aid and many other critical programs.

A quick update on Alewife traffic issues.  Some progress has been made that
merits report.

Summary of a meeting that occurred at the State House (September 25) regarding the status of Department of Conservation and Recreation issues in the Alewife area.

I’m very disappointed to report that Governor Patrick chose to veto the
language that we worked to place in the Environmental Bond Bill regarding
the Silver Maple Forest acquisition.

It ain’t over until it’s over.  The 2007-2008 legislative session ended in
the wee hours of August 1.  The final twists yielded stunning successes for
environmental advocates.