ACROSS Lexington Connecting Conservation Lands (VIDEO)

There are good acronyms, and there are not so good acronyms. With ACROSS Lexington, the town's Greenways Corridor Committee believes it has a an acronym that's working out quite nicely.

ACROSS stands for Accessing Conservation land, Recreation areas, Open space, Schools and Streets and it's the major initiative of the Greenways Corridor Committee. The goal is to create 40 miles of well marked walking/running/biking routes linking trails, schools and conservation land around town. And it starts with a pilot route of 5.5 miles, which opens this weekend.

(Watch the video to your right to hear more about ACROSS Lexington and the pilot.)

The pilot route, like those to come, connects with the Minuteman Bikeway, which will act as sort of a "spine" for the eventual network of ACROSS Lexington trails. Individually and as a whole, the trail network will promote alternative passive recreation and transportation options.

"Lexington  has all of treasure trove of resources, and this is a way to connect them all," said Keith Ohmart, chairman of the Greenways Corridor Committee. "It's a different way of thinking of and linking those resources."

The routes throughout the network are largely existing roads and trails, which will be marked with ACROSS Lexington sinage and posts. A map will depict each route.

The Greenways Corridor Committee is hoping to complete additional routes over the next three years and eventually link the 40 miles, according to Rick Abrams, co-chairman of the committee. To guide the work, they're using a map provided by the Conservation Commission that includes overlaid conservation lands. Schools will also be along the routes, providing another safe option for students to and from school.

After the pilot route comes onboard this weekend, Abrans said the committee will be looking for feedback from the public about sinage and whatever else comes to mind. The best way to submit that feedback, he said, is through a link on the committee's website, which you can access here.