Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Celebrates Opening of the Newest Section of the Neponset River Greenway 

Boston — Leaders from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) today joined local legislators and community organizations to celebrate the completion of a 0.9 mile extension of the Neponset River Greenway from Tenean Beach to Morrissey Boulevard. Efforts to improve the trail, which now stretches approximately nine miles through the Readville, Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston and into Milton, connecting to the Harborwalk and downtown Boston along the Neponset corridor, were the result of a decades-long collaboration between DCR, MassDOT, the Fort Norfolk and Savin Hill neighborhood groups, local elected officials, and the Neponset River Watershed Association and Greenway Council.  

"The Neponset River is one of Boston’s treasures and I’m thrilled to mark another mile of this beautiful Greenway,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “It’s critical that we continue to invest in greenspaces in cities like Boston so communities have easy access to the outdoors, exercise, and time in nature. Congratulations to the team who has worked to make this project a reality.” 

“Transportation is about connecting people, places, and communities. This new section of the Neponset River Greenway is a powerful example of how our transportation network transforms people’s lives to better support healthy lifestyles and safe access for all,” said Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “This investment reflects our commitment to improving the quality of life by building pathways that are not just recreational but essential corridors linking residents to jobs, schools, and open space. Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, DCR, and all our state and local partners who have contributed to the continued advancement of the Neponset Greenway projects for the enjoyment of generations to come.”  

In the late 19^th century, the founders of the Metropolitan Park System envisioned the Neponset River Greenway as a way to protect the waterway and provide the community access to the outdoors. Official efforts on the Greenway began in 1996. DCR began work restoring areas along Boston Harbor and Neponset River into what became the Neponset River Reservation. The first section of the Greenway, connecting Pope John Paul II Park to Central Avenue, was completed in 2002, with subsequent extensions taking place in 2010, 2015, and 2017.  

“This new section of the Neponset River Greenway represents decades of sustained collaboration to connect communities to the river, the shoreline, and to each other,” said DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle. “By expanding safe, accessible space for walking, biking, and spending time outdoors, we’re creating more opportunities for people—especially those who haven’t always had access—to experience and enjoy the waterfront. This is what our public spaces are meant to do: bring people closer to nature and help ensure everyone feels welcome and connected.” 

“Completion of this segment of the Neponset River Greenway is a major step forward for safe, multimodal travel, and yet another success story as a result of the collaborative efforts between DCR and MassDOT,” said Undersecretary and State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “Thanks to the vision, advocacy, and hard work of everyone involved, completing of this key segment of the Neponset River Greenway ensures this will be as much of an attraction as it will a transportation corridor for everyone in the area.”  

This latest addition to the trail consists of a 10-ft wide paved surface, with a new pedestrian crosswalk at Victory Road, and a 670-ft elevated boardwalk structure over the tidal salt marsh in Dorchester Bay. The Greenway’s new section also features a large overlook deck with views of the Bay and Boston.

The area of the extension was chosen after a critical gap was identified in the Greenway between Conley Street and Victory Road on the western side of the I-93 Highway embankment in Dorchester in 2014. MassDOT and DCR worked together to develop a plan for part of the greenway construction, with MassDOT granting care and control of the new Greenway layout to DCR.  

“Projects like this don’t happen without sustained effort and a lot of people working towards a common goal,” said Senator Nick Collins (D-Boston). “And while it takes a village, Representative Dan Hunt should be commended for his part in seeing this through, along with former Senator Linda Dorcena Forry for getting it started, as well as community leaders like Paul Nutting of the Metro Beaches Commission for his steady advocacy. This new section of the Greenway will bring people closer to the coastline and create a space the community can enjoy. I’m grateful to have worked with all of these partners to finally make it a reality.” 

“Today’s ribbon cutting is more than the completion of a trail,” said Representative Daniel Hunt (D-Dorchester). “It’s the realization of a vision and the culmination of decades of advocacy and collaboration to complete this long-awaited ‘missing link’ in Boston’s own ‘Emerald Necklace’. I’m grateful to Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, Secretary Marty Walsh, the Neponset Greenway Council, past and present administrations, dedicated staff, advocacy groups, and residents whose persistence made this possible.” 
 
“I am grateful to DCR and MassDOT for building and maintaining this new path,” said Lee Toma, President of the Neponset River Greenway Council. “It is a wonderful new resource for the neighborhood, and it makes the route so much more user-friendly that more neighbors are using it to travel to destinations like UMass, BC High School and downtown. And in the other direction, it has opened up the way for people like the BC High Cyclocross Team to bike to the trails they train on in the Blue Hills. Looking toward the future, it is encouraging to see the state is planning additional walking and biking connections with its Morrissey Boulevard project, the Parkways Master Plan, Route 128 and 28 corridor studies and its Priority Trail Network vision.” 

“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of the Northern Extension of the Neponset River Greenway Trail. This project represents years of collaboration among DCR, NepRWA, and the Neponset River Greenway Council,” said Andres Ripley, Greenways Program Director, Neponset River Watershed Association. “It demonstrates a shared commitment to making the river safer and more accessible for our communities and brings us one step closer to the Neponset Greenway vision of a continuous connection from Castle Island to the Blue Hills.” 

"I was really excited to hear that this new section was opening up, it really makes a key connection for many of Boston's neighborhoods to the Harbor.  Today I rode to the event from Roslindale Square to Mattapan Square, along the Neponset to Victory Road Park. I took a little over 40 minutes, and I was taking my time. I go on rides with the Parkway Cycle Club and they take this route often, stopping for coffee or lunch along the way and going as far as the South Boston Waterfront.  It's a very pleasant ride, mostly off the streets and out of traffic, the ride along the Neponset River is serene and Pope John Paul II Park is a gem,” said Bryan Glascock, a frequent trail visitor. “I know these kinds of greenway projects take a long time to assemble but we need to keep going, connecting our neighborhoods to each other and to resources like our parks and the beautiful Harbor." 

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