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

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.

Thanks to Senator Tolman, the Silver Maple Forest language described below is now also in the Senate version of the Environmental Bond Bill.

I’m pleased to report some progress on the Silver Maple Forest issue.

Six months ago, I shared with you some thoughts about traffic in the Alewife area.  Here’s an update.

For those of you who are following the issue of the Silver Maple Forest, I want to report a small step forward.

I am writing to provide an update for those who are concerned about preserving the Silver Maple Forest or Belmont Uplands property.  A group met last week with Governor Patrick to discuss the issue.