Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors urge Cambridge to coordinate multi-agency response after rise in needles, encampments on Alewife paths
Summary
Multiple residents and neighborhood groups told the council the Alewife-area linear paths have seen increased drug use, needles and encampments and urged the City to lead coordination across property owners (City, MBTA, DCR, private developers) and to continue needle-sweep efforts and improved lighting and detour planning during construction.
Residents who walk and use the Alewife-area linear park and paths urged the Cambridge City Council on Oct. 6 to back a policy order (agenda item 142) asking the city manager and city departments to coordinate with property owners and nearby developers to improve safety, sanitation and maintenance along Russell Field, the Alewife T headhouse routes and adjacent paths.
Lisa Burke, representing the Alewife Study Group and a resident of 20 Castle Park, thanked councilors and staff for walking the IQHQ/Old Gramma site and said the group’s recent newsletters shifted from construction complaints to safety concerns after multiple reports of used needles, encampments and fires. Burke noted an expanded needle-collection effort this summer and asked the council to support the proposed information-gathering and coordination in policy order 142.
Anne McDonald, who said she walks the linear path daily, described frequent needle encounters, poor lighting in places and confusion about which agencies are responsible for particular segments of the paths. Joel Nodzik and other neighbors said needle counts, open drug use, and encampment numbers had “many-fold” increased over previous years and urged the city to take a coordinating role across owners including the MBTA, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and private developers such as IQHQ.
Speakers praised city services that have been active in the area, including a Wednesday needle-collection program and outreach vans providing food and services to people living outdoors, and called for permanent measures: consistent maintenance, public needle boxes, improved lighting, and clear detour plans for pedestrians during linear park renovation. Lisa Burke said the neighborhood counted roughly 3,500 used needles recovered in a recent four-week period as part of collection efforts.
The transcript records public comment and support for policy order 142 but does not show a council vote on the order during the portion of the meeting provided.
