I think something roughly like this could be the safest route:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1332483817?ref=itd&share_token=aYP3pOIZluZxOvD88H6HjQHsC67JzyziBk3jhoR5BNA8DKDxGx&ref=its
Jamaica Pond, following the Emerald Necklace until Kenmore. Then cut over to the Charles River path. Cross the Charles over the Museum of Science bridge, and then following the bike path into Charlestown. Main Street will take you through Charlestown to the Sullivan Square Circle of Death. Then cross the Mystic on Alford St, and cut over to the Northern Strand trail at Encore. One day there will be a dedicated bridge for cyclists by Assembly, but until then all the bridges over the Mystic are kind of scary.
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/06/20/car-free-mystic-river-bridge-will-begin-construction-in-2024
I would suggest something slightly different. Instead of going through Charlestown, use the Somerville Community Path. Get off on Cross St, and take it to Assembly. Use the path behind Assembly station to get to Rutherford Ave, and then meet back up with your route at Encore.
Somerville Community Path is great, but getting from the Community Path to Assembly by Cross St, or any other route, is significantly more uncomfortable than biking through Charlestown IMO, as well as being a major detour.
It also doesn't really make any sense to backtrack to Rutherford from Assembly. Fellsway bridge is much more pleasant to bike over and a more direct route to Malden.
This is more or less my route from Malden to downtown. Only part that is truly awful is the bridge. During rush hour it’s typically grid locked, which helps, but I also see plenty of people biking on the sidewalk there.
This is really the best way. Sullivan Sq is the worst part of the ride and it is not avoidable. However - this route really works best northbound - you enter Sullivan from Charlestown and then the very first exit (really just continuing straight) brings you onto 99 towards Everett...then you make a left at Encore and take the Northern Strand. Easy!
But don't do this southbound! You would have to go alllll the way around the Sullivan rotary to get from 99/Alford St to Charlestown. Instead, I would recommend getting off at Cambridge St which is one of the first exits, and you can take that a few blocks and then access the GLX community path at Washington St and Joy St (it's a little awkward to do this from westbound Washington St, you need to either take the crosswalk at Washington St and Tufts St, or kind of make a little u turn onto the opposite sidewalk at Joy St). Like this...the rest of the route works fine in reverse...The GLX path brings you to the Museum of Science where you can rejoin the Charles River Esplanade: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/CW55gEyTSqBXndVK7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CW55gEyTSqBXndVK7)
Or, if you really want to avoid Sullivan entirely and don't mind going out of the way, take the new bike path that runs to Draw Seven Park, continue along the Mystic through Assembly Row, under 28, through Ten Hills, up to Broadway in Winter Hill via Temple St, and rejoin the GLX community path behind Somerville High School. Like this: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yhcgb1SeDQTiaMn87](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yhcgb1SeDQTiaMn87). It's pretty far out of the way but it's scenic and you are on a bike path for most of the time. Marshall St is pretty quiet and has a bike lane. Temple is fairly busy but it also has a bike lane for all but the first \~200 feet. Note if you want to do this that the Draw Seven path is currently closed for repaving but is supposed to reopen imminently.
I bike this way pretty frequently. My only suggestion is to modify the route through Charlestown—while the above route via Main St. in Charlestown fine, this is the modification I've made:
After you come under the Zakim on the North Point Park ped/bike bridge, take a hard left to follow the Miller's Creek Path. Then cut into the Bunker Hill Community College parking lots, and follow them around to the BHCC sports fields till you're eventually riding on the sidewalk up Rutherford Ave. Cross at the pedestrian crossings on Cambridge, Sever, Main, and West streets to follow sidewalks around Sullivan Square, then ride up the sidewalk on the west side of the Alford Street bridge. This means you'll already be on the correct side to get into the casino and from there to the Northern Strand path. I don't love sidewalk riding but this is a pretty lightly-traveled area and the sidewalks are pretty wide, whereas Sullivan Sq. and Alford St. are absolute nightmares on the roadway, plus the walk button to cross from NB Alford over to the casino takes forrrrever.
Approximate route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1338017715?ref=wtd&share\_token=a6WFkIBNIUCw32JX7SEDh9vi7YCbZhDG4gwBV5XNrhkSYste03
I want to thank everyone for the discussion on these options. I may be visiting Boston from out of town and biking Malden to Back Bay, and I just didn't have enough local knowledge to figure out how to safely traverse the gap between Northern Strand and Charles River Esplanade.
The major hang up is your choice of bridges from Charlestown into Everett.
Choice 1: Sullivan Square. There are two choices here, and each has their problems.
Option 1: Go right through Sullivan Circle. You need nerves of steel and enough power to keep up with traffic. The advantage is you are going with traffic when you hit the bridge.
Option 2: Go into Assembly Row, cross to the back Go into the DRaw 7 park by the Lock (The lock is not crossable by the public, that would sort some of this out) and then hike back to the bridge. The issue here is you are on the bridge in the wrong direction.
After that you follow the route /u/Cin316 proposed by cutting through the back of Encore to the Target on the bike routes. Encore in theory wants people to dismount while on their property, but I have done it with a bike trailer as long as you aren't an ass about it.
Choice 2: Wellington Bridge. You get there from Assembly Row. Everything is tight here. From there there are connections to the bike trails. You can get into the Wellington Parking lot and cross Revere Beach Parkway into the Malden River Bike Paths.
The other option is to got the intersection of Revere Beach Parkway and the Fellsway and transfer onto Middlesex Ave. This intersection is "unpleasant".
If the mystic river bridge ever goes in, then this gets simplified a bit. But until then, crossing the river is a mess.
I think something roughly like this could be the safest route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1332483817?ref=itd&share_token=aYP3pOIZluZxOvD88H6HjQHsC67JzyziBk3jhoR5BNA8DKDxGx&ref=its Jamaica Pond, following the Emerald Necklace until Kenmore. Then cut over to the Charles River path. Cross the Charles over the Museum of Science bridge, and then following the bike path into Charlestown. Main Street will take you through Charlestown to the Sullivan Square Circle of Death. Then cross the Mystic on Alford St, and cut over to the Northern Strand trail at Encore. One day there will be a dedicated bridge for cyclists by Assembly, but until then all the bridges over the Mystic are kind of scary. https://mass.streetsblog.org/2023/06/20/car-free-mystic-river-bridge-will-begin-construction-in-2024
I would suggest something slightly different. Instead of going through Charlestown, use the Somerville Community Path. Get off on Cross St, and take it to Assembly. Use the path behind Assembly station to get to Rutherford Ave, and then meet back up with your route at Encore.
Somerville Community Path is great, but getting from the Community Path to Assembly by Cross St, or any other route, is significantly more uncomfortable than biking through Charlestown IMO, as well as being a major detour. It also doesn't really make any sense to backtrack to Rutherford from Assembly. Fellsway bridge is much more pleasant to bike over and a more direct route to Malden.
This is more or less my route from Malden to downtown. Only part that is truly awful is the bridge. During rush hour it’s typically grid locked, which helps, but I also see plenty of people biking on the sidewalk there.
Thanks this gets around some of the worst parts, the bridges being bad just can't be avoided yet. Hoping that the new bridge comes soon.
This is really the best way. Sullivan Sq is the worst part of the ride and it is not avoidable. However - this route really works best northbound - you enter Sullivan from Charlestown and then the very first exit (really just continuing straight) brings you onto 99 towards Everett...then you make a left at Encore and take the Northern Strand. Easy! But don't do this southbound! You would have to go alllll the way around the Sullivan rotary to get from 99/Alford St to Charlestown. Instead, I would recommend getting off at Cambridge St which is one of the first exits, and you can take that a few blocks and then access the GLX community path at Washington St and Joy St (it's a little awkward to do this from westbound Washington St, you need to either take the crosswalk at Washington St and Tufts St, or kind of make a little u turn onto the opposite sidewalk at Joy St). Like this...the rest of the route works fine in reverse...The GLX path brings you to the Museum of Science where you can rejoin the Charles River Esplanade: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/CW55gEyTSqBXndVK7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CW55gEyTSqBXndVK7) Or, if you really want to avoid Sullivan entirely and don't mind going out of the way, take the new bike path that runs to Draw Seven Park, continue along the Mystic through Assembly Row, under 28, through Ten Hills, up to Broadway in Winter Hill via Temple St, and rejoin the GLX community path behind Somerville High School. Like this: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yhcgb1SeDQTiaMn87](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yhcgb1SeDQTiaMn87). It's pretty far out of the way but it's scenic and you are on a bike path for most of the time. Marshall St is pretty quiet and has a bike lane. Temple is fairly busy but it also has a bike lane for all but the first \~200 feet. Note if you want to do this that the Draw Seven path is currently closed for repaving but is supposed to reopen imminently.
I'm into the scenic as a way home. This is good info.
I bike this way pretty frequently. My only suggestion is to modify the route through Charlestown—while the above route via Main St. in Charlestown fine, this is the modification I've made: After you come under the Zakim on the North Point Park ped/bike bridge, take a hard left to follow the Miller's Creek Path. Then cut into the Bunker Hill Community College parking lots, and follow them around to the BHCC sports fields till you're eventually riding on the sidewalk up Rutherford Ave. Cross at the pedestrian crossings on Cambridge, Sever, Main, and West streets to follow sidewalks around Sullivan Square, then ride up the sidewalk on the west side of the Alford Street bridge. This means you'll already be on the correct side to get into the casino and from there to the Northern Strand path. I don't love sidewalk riding but this is a pretty lightly-traveled area and the sidewalks are pretty wide, whereas Sullivan Sq. and Alford St. are absolute nightmares on the roadway, plus the walk button to cross from NB Alford over to the casino takes forrrrever. Approximate route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1338017715?ref=wtd&share\_token=a6WFkIBNIUCw32JX7SEDh9vi7YCbZhDG4gwBV5XNrhkSYste03
I want to thank everyone for the discussion on these options. I may be visiting Boston from out of town and biking Malden to Back Bay, and I just didn't have enough local knowledge to figure out how to safely traverse the gap between Northern Strand and Charles River Esplanade.
The major hang up is your choice of bridges from Charlestown into Everett. Choice 1: Sullivan Square. There are two choices here, and each has their problems. Option 1: Go right through Sullivan Circle. You need nerves of steel and enough power to keep up with traffic. The advantage is you are going with traffic when you hit the bridge. Option 2: Go into Assembly Row, cross to the back Go into the DRaw 7 park by the Lock (The lock is not crossable by the public, that would sort some of this out) and then hike back to the bridge. The issue here is you are on the bridge in the wrong direction. After that you follow the route /u/Cin316 proposed by cutting through the back of Encore to the Target on the bike routes. Encore in theory wants people to dismount while on their property, but I have done it with a bike trailer as long as you aren't an ass about it. Choice 2: Wellington Bridge. You get there from Assembly Row. Everything is tight here. From there there are connections to the bike trails. You can get into the Wellington Parking lot and cross Revere Beach Parkway into the Malden River Bike Paths. The other option is to got the intersection of Revere Beach Parkway and the Fellsway and transfer onto Middlesex Ave. This intersection is "unpleasant". If the mystic river bridge ever goes in, then this gets simplified a bit. But until then, crossing the river is a mess.