The development of bike and community paths from abandoned railroads across the region and country has proven to be a positive way of connecting communities internally and regionally. The City of Somerville has been advocating for the development of the Somerville Community Path, which would connect Belmont, Arlington, Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston, for the past decade. In 2001, the potential to construct the path came a step closer with the completion of the Somerville Community Path Feasibility Study. The study suggested several alternatives of how to route the path, a preferred alternative, and provided preliminary cost estimates.

With the assistance of an active community group, Friends of the Community Path, the City of Somerville received a Tourism Grant from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to put towards further development of the path. The City will be using the funding for survey and design services for a section of the path that will connect to the existing path and run from Cedar Street to Central Street. The City will continue to work on extending the path to create additional open space, access, and improve public infrastructure for the community.