Malden River: Rising From A Polluted Past

The Malden River has a polluted industrial past, with its sediments and riverbanks contaminated with legacy pollutants. The river has been largely forgotten by the public, and there is currently little understanding of the health risks posed by the contaminants. However, there is now momentum behind improving the riverfront area, with plans for a network of parks and trails that would open the length of the river to pedestrians and cyclists. This would bring new life to the area bordering Everett, Malden, and Medford.

Planners are working on blueprints for a network of parks and trails to open the length of the river to pedestrians and cyclists

Planners are working on a network of parks and trails that would open the length of the Malden River to pedestrians and cyclists. This would bring new life to the area bordering Everett, Malden, and Medford. The project relies on the utility company National Grid, which owns a key stretch of riverfront property in Malden and Everett. The company is currently renewing its state permits for the property, which will determine how much of the land it makes available for public use. It appears that a deal is close to being made that would allow a path along the full length of its property, connecting with existing or planned trails on either end.

The bicycle infrastructure north of Boston still has big gaps, but improving the Malden River plan would make it more plausible to bike to and from Everett, Saugus, Lynn, Malden, and Boston. Herb Nolan of the Solomon Foundation, a nonprofit that supports parks projects, has said that the lack of good bike connections from the North Shore into Boston creates “one of the biggest bottlenecks along the Eastern Seaboard”.

There is now more momentum behind improving the riverfront area, in part thanks to the casino development in Everett. The owner, Wynn Resorts, has agreed to pay for a study of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that would link Everett and the Assembly Square T station.

The Malden River became a dumping ground for industrial waste and polluted with heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. By 1920, most of the heavy industry along the river had closed down or moved elsewhere. Today, the Malden River sediments and riverbanks are contaminated with legacy pollutants from its industrial past.

The Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone is sounding more favourable to the pedestrian bridge

The Malden River was once a dumping ground for industrial waste, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. By 1920, most of the heavy industry along the river had closed down or moved elsewhere, but the river sediments and riverbanks are still contaminated with legacy pollutants.

Planners are now working on blueprints for a network of parks and trails that would open the length of the river to pedestrians and cyclists, bringing new life to the area bordering Everett, Malden, and Medford. The bicycle infrastructure north of Boston still has big gaps, but improving the Malden River plan would make it more plausible to bike to and from Everett, Saugus, Lynn, Malden, and Boston.

The owner of the casino development in Everett, Wynn Resorts, has agreed to pay for a study of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that would link Everett and the Assembly Square T station. This could provide benefits that go beyond just the immediate area. However, whether the river reaches its potential relies to a big degree on the utility company National Grid, which owns a key stretch of riverfront property in Malden and Everett. The company is in the midst of renewing its state permits for the property, which will determine how much of the land it makes available for public use.

The National Grid property, located north of the casino, would allow a pathway from Malden into Everett and onward to the potential bridge site

The Malden River, which borders Everett, Malden, and Medford, has a polluted past due to the industrial facilities that once lined its banks. These facilities produced large volumes of waste, which were disposed of in the river, leading to contamination with heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. However, there is now a plan to reclaim the river and open it up to pedestrians and cyclists, with the potential for a pathway from Malden into Everett and onward to a potential bridge site. This would be facilitated by the National Grid property, located north of the casino, which could provide a connection to existing or planned trails. The Somerville mayor, Joe Curtatone, is in favour of the pedestrian bridge, and the owner of the casino, Wynn Resorts, has agreed to fund a study of the potential bridge. This development, along with the potential for improved bicycle infrastructure, has created more momentum behind the project to revitalise the riverfront area. The success of the project, however, relies on the utility company National Grid and the amount of land it makes available for public use.

The bicycle infrastructure north of Boston still has big gaps, but improving the Malden River plan would make it more plausible to bike to and from Everett, Saugus, Lynn, Malden, and Boston

The Malden River has a polluted past, with industrial facilities disposing of large volumes of waste in the river. By 1920, most of the heavy industry along the river had closed down or moved elsewhere, but the river sediments and riverbanks are still contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.

Planners are working on blueprints for a network of parks and trails that would open the length of the river to pedestrians and cyclists, bringing new life to the area bordering Everett, Malden, and Medford. The bicycle infrastructure north of Boston still has big gaps, but improving the Malden River plan would make it more plausible to bike to and from Everett, Saugus, Lynn, Malden, and Boston. Currently, the lack of good bike connections from the North Shore into Boston creates one of the biggest bottlenecks along the Eastern Seaboard.

There is now more momentum behind improving the riverfront area, thanks in part to the casino development in Everett. The owner, Wynn Resorts, has agreed to pay for a study of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that would link Everett and the Assembly Square T station. The National Grid property, located north of the casino, would allow a pathway from Malden into Everett and onward to the potential bridge site. The company appears close to a deal that would allow a path along the full length of its property, connecting with existing or planned trails on either end.

Whether the river reaches its potential, though, relies to a big degree on the utility company National Grid, which owns a key stretch of riverfront property in Malden and Everett. The company is in the midst of renewing its state permits for the property, which will determine how much of the land it makes available for public use.

Studies of contaminant levels have been conducted, but it is not well understood what kind of health risks the contaminants pose to the public

The Malden River was once a dumping ground for industrial waste, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. By 1920, most of the heavy industry along the river had closed down or moved elsewhere, but the river sediments and riverbanks are still contaminated with pollutants. Studies of contaminant levels have been conducted, but it is not yet fully understood what health risks these pose to the public.

The river could be reclaimed with the help of planners, who are working on blueprints for a network of parks and trails that would open the length of the river to pedestrians and cyclists, bringing new life to the area bordering Everett, Malden, and Medford. However, the success of this plan relies on the utility company National Grid, which owns a key stretch of riverfront property in Malden and Everett. The company is currently renewing its state permits for the property, which will determine how much of the land it makes available for public use.

There is also momentum behind improving the riverfront area, in part thanks to the casino development in Everett. The owner, Wynn Resorts, has agreed to pay for a study of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that would link Everett and the Assembly Square T station. This could make it more plausible to bike to and from Everett, Saugus, Lynn, Malden, and Boston.

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