Blackstone unveils new ATV
BLACKSTONE — Bicyclists and walkers who find themselves injured on the Blackstone River Greenway can rest easy knowing help is only minutes away thanks to the town's new public safety all-terrain vehicle – a utility side-by-side patrol vehicle equipped with medical supplies and small enough to drive on bike paths and tight pathways in the woods.
The new Polaris off-road vehicle was recently displayed at the Blackstone Valley Boys and Girls Club's fundraiser at Wojcik’s Farm and the Touch a Truck event at the Blackstone Public Library. The vehicle is being used for patrols and search and rescues in areas not accessible by full-size vehicles, including the Blackstone River Greenway, a 3.7-mile stretch of bike path in Blackstone, Millville and Uxbridge that has become a popular destination for area residents and visitors since it opened in 2017.
It was Blackstone Fire Chief Michael J. Sweeney and former Police Chief Ross Atstupenas who came up with the idea to acquire the vehicle, which is the size of a golf cart and comes are equipped with a stretcher, defibrillator, oxygen bag and medical supplies. The machine can travel up to 40 mph and navigate tight quarters in thickly-wooded areas. Town meeting voters last year approved funding for the vehicle, which made its debut this summer.
Atstupenas and Sweeney realized the need for the vehicle two years ago after the bike path officially opened. The path has been getting heavy use over the past two years and oftentimes there is not enough parking to accommodate the pedestrian traffic.
However, the bike bath is too narrow and remote and restricts access by conventional emergency vehicles. Blackstone officials say the Polaris' size and 4-wheel drive will allow it to go around many of these obstacles to reach those in need. It will also improve response times and enhance the safety of both emergency personnel and patients.
The bike path officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2017. The Greenway in this stretch is 3.7 miles of trails and a multi-use path along the former railroad line between South Uxbridge, Route 146A, through Millville and to the Blackstone Depot site. The project itself terminates at Route 146A in Uxbridge. Additionally, several miles in Uxbridge, from the Greenway trail near Route 146 Exit 1 to the River Bend Farm on Oak Street, is being evaluated by the state’s engineering and design firm.
The piece of the Greenway that was constructed over the past two years included the building of seven bridges, construction of a tunnel at Church Street and restoration of a bridge over Main Street in Blackstone.
The third and last contract is the actual construction of the entire Greenway, which will link all the bridges, the tunnel, and reconstruction of the most complicated bridge – the Triad Bridge in Millville.
The cost for all three construction contracts is $20 million, and is one of the most expensive greenway sections ever built in New England.
When completed the Blackstone Valley Greenway will go from Route 146A in Uxbridge to the Rhode Island border – roughly 3.7 miles in length – then from the Rhode Island border all the way to Providence for a total of 24 miles.
The Blackstone River Greenway was conceived of as including a 48-mile long bikeway connecting Worcester to Providence, running the length of the National Heritage Corridor and following the Blackstone River and canal wherever possible. The Greenway will also connect to the already completed East Bay Bike Path, allowing users to continue to Bristol, and ultimately, Newport.
In Massachusetts, approximately 3.5 miles of the bikeway are complete, including 2.5 miles of off-road facility in Millbury and Worcester. In Worcester, additional on-road path stretches connect the Greenway with various neighborhoods, including Quinsigamond Village where a bike path spur went into construction last year and connect with the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center, currently in design. Between Crompton Park and Union Station, another stretch of the bike path is in design and is expected to be on-road facility where the users will be separated from roadway traffic.
In Rhode Island, collaboration between the Departments of Transportation and Environmental Management has resulted in 11.5 miles of continuous off-road bike path being open to the public in Cumberland, Lincoln, and Woonsocket, and several miles of on-road path in Providence and Pawtucket. In total, nearly 16 miles of bike path have been completed along the Blackstone River Greenway, and the remaining 8 miles are in design.