RTC TrailBlog : northeast regional office, massachusetts

Rail-Trail an Asset for Eco-Tourism in the Berkshires

Jake Lynch — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:30:00 GMT

We see it more and more these days - rail-trails as economic development assets. Cities and towns across America are developing rail-trail networks in order to make their area more attractive, drawing new residents and businesses and providing an environment where people want to live.

We are also seeing entrepreneurs finding business opportunities connected to destination rail-trails - lodging, services and other operations are launching next to rail-trails from Maine to California.

Like this one: Paolo Cugnasca, CEO of Feronia Forests is planning to invest about $1.5 million in building an aerial adventure park in Berkshire County, Mass., where the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail attracts thousands of visitors a year. According to the Boston Business Journal, the New York-based company plans on developing an eco-tourism attraction on Brodie Mountain, that was home to a ski resort until 2002.

Nestled in the Hoosic River Valley in Berkshire County, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail takes its name from a Native American word meaning "the pleasant river between the hills." Amazing views of the mountains, lakes and river, and well-developed rest areas and amenities, have made the trail one of the Berkshire's most population draws.

Photo by RTC

From the Northeast - the Story of a Man and His Hound Fit for Hollywood

Jake Lynch — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:04:00 GMT

Great to return from the long weekend to some good rail-trail news. Here's a few things out of the Northeast that were in my email box this morning...

The city of Oneida in upstate New York is making great strides in its plan to convert more miles of disused rail-line and expand its city-wide rail-trail network. The Oneida Improvement Committee is currently raising money and support to improve 10.75 miles of existing rail-trails and connect them through additional miles of rail corridor to form a triangular loop.

"The rails were a big part of our history; they pretty much developed Oneida into what it is now," Recreation Director Luke Griff told the Utica Observer Dispatch. "So we're kind of bringing back the past a little bit."

To the east, planners have been able to put an approximate timeline on an eagerly awaited extension of the Cape Cod Rail-Trail in Massachusetts. Currently running 22 miles along former Old Colony Railroad right-of-way on the Cape Cod peninsula, for many years communities to the west have been eager to connect to this remarkable rail-trail that has attracted visitors to the area for decades.

According to an article in Barnstable's The Register, if the Cape Cod Bike Path Task Force can secure the funding and planning approvals it needs, construction on the first section of an eastward extension could start as early as 2014.

And finally, a terrific yarn that comes to its lovely conclusion along the Heritage Rail Trail County Park in York, Pennsylvania. The friendship between Arthur Glatfelter Jr. and his dog, Pal, survived years of World War and separation. Their surprise reunion on a beach in the South Pacific puts Hollywood screenwriters to shame.

More than 60 years later, the City of York and local residents unveiled a sculpture of Pal alongside the Heritage Rail-Trail (right), to honor local veterans and the special contribution Glatfelter had made to his community.

Glatfelter passed away last week. In honoring the prominent citizen, the York Daily Record reflected on the statue of Pal that has become a local landmark. (Reminds me of the Dog on the Tuckerbox statue I used to love visiting as a kid back in Australia).

Photo courtesy York Daily Record

Land Donation a Tremendous Gift for Rail-Trail Group in Massachusetts

Jake Lynch — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Terrific news out of Holliston, Mass., this week, with the generous donation of a parcel of land to make possible the continued development of the Upper Charles Rail Trail.

The Upper Charles Rail Trail is being developed in sections as the land and funding becomes available, driven by a strong local group of volunteers always willing to roll the sleeves up. When complete it will run through Sherborn, Holliston, Milford, Hopkinton and Ashland in eastern Massachusetts.

According to this story at Metro West Daily News, The Fredy and Regula Lienhard Foundation has donated a portion of the trail corridor that runs from South Street to the Milford town line.

"(The foundation) basically donated the land so we can build the trail on that," said Robert Weidknecht, of the Holliston Trails Committee.

Local trail advocates are now hoping some of that generosity might rub off on CSX, the railroad company which owns other significant sections of the planned trail.

"We hope to find the money to purchase the other two pieces from CSX," Weidknecht said. "We know they want to sell them. It's getting the money that is difficult."

Photo courtesy Friends of the Holliston Trails

Good News Mixed With the Not-So-Good in Massachusetts

Jake Lynch — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:01:00 GMT

Inspired by the great success of its more famous rail-trails, such as the Minuteman and Shining Sea bikeways, and Cape Cod, Manhan, Nashua River and Norwottuck rail-trails, the state of Massachusetts is looking to further extend its network of nonmotorized pathways.

According to Westford Patch, earlier this year the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) allocated $8,788,000 in its Fiscal Year 2013-2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to extend the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from its current terminus in Westford, south through Carlisle and Acton, for a total length of almost 5 miles.

The money is coming from Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Green Dot program, which aims to make Massachusetts' transportation system the most sustainable in the country, by increasing transit and active transportation facilities.

The extension of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail was one of the priority projects of the Bay State Greenway project, focusing on seven key corridors (most of which include rail-trails), to connect a 740-mile network of shared-use pathways throughout the state.

According to Friends of the Bruce Freeman Trail (FBFRT), this financial support for rail-trail development is the hard-earned fruit of many years of advocacy labor.

"Our reading of the tea leaves is that the strong and persistent support of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail by citizens, legislators and the FBFRT tipped the scales for inclusion of Phase 2A in a planning process that is severely budget constrained," FBFRT wrote in its summer newsletter. "We have been garnering support and commenting on TIPs since 2007."

And the good news keeps coming for the FBFRT. This month Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed a state transportation bond bill that included an additional $200,000 for the design of phase 2B.

However, although the bill also included $150,000 for the construction of the Yankee Doodle Bike Path in Billerica, only a tiny portion of the $1.5 billion bill was dedicated to bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects.

Transportation for Massachusetts wrote on its website that "the bill is a lost opportunity to start the creation of a national 21st century transportation network, and a step backwards at this crucial time," adding that the bill does "not support creating safe streets for all, and resources for options like biking and walking."

Photo courtesy of FBFRT

Massachusetts Cheers as Work Begins on Northern Strand Community Trail

Jake Lynch — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:00:00 GMT

The residents and businesspeople of Saugus, close to the Massachusetts coastline, are celebrating today with the long-awaited beginning of work on their section of the Northern Strand Community Trail.

"I think it's awesome," Saugus Board of Selectmen Vice-chairmen Steve Castinetti told the Daily Item last week. "It's a huge step up for the town, and I think it will bring a lot of interest to the town. This is a win-win for the business community, as well, if we could get people from outside of Saugus to just ride through town and see what there is to offer."

The Saugus section is part of what will one day be a 10-mile rail-trail between Everett, to the southwest, and Lynn, east of Saugus on the shores of Nahant Bay.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is especially pleased to see work beginning on this formally abandoned section of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority railroad line. In 2011, RTC and The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded Bike to the Sea, Inc., two grants totaling $12,500 to provide a match for an $84,000 Recreational Trails Program grant to aid the trail's construction.

According to the Daily Item, work is also under way in nearby Malden, and "in the pipeline" in Revere. However, the city of Lynn is being described as a "holdout" on the project.

Thanks to a partnership with a group called Iron Horse, Saugus will get a 2.5-mile gravel trail with recycled asphalt for "next to nothing." Iron Horse will remove the rail line tracks and ties, which they then sell for scrap metal. With this profit, Iron Horse will construct the trail.

Congratulations, Massachusetts! The Northern Strand Community Trail will be a great addition to the growing rail-trail network in the Northeast.

Map courtesy of www.biketothesea.com

Bipartisan Support for Massachusetts Rail-Trail

Jake Lynch — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:26:00 GMT

The communities of Southbridge and Dudley in southern Massachusetts are showing great determination and ingenuity in pursing their rail-trail ambitions.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported last week that local officials have been able to save tens of thousands of dollars in the construction of trail bridges crossing the Quinebaug River by doing the design and engineering work themselves, and reusing existing girders at the build sites. The towns are also stockpiling the train tracks, which they will sell for scrap metal--a future source of funding for the rail-trail.

All this creative energy comes from the community's strong belief in the great value of a trail, which they hope will one day connect Southbridge, Dudley and Thompson, then loop back into Dudley and Webster.

"State Rep. Peter J. Durant, R-Spencer, said rail-trails are powerful economic drivers," the Gazette writes. "Mr. Durant said he and his wife, on a weekly basis, look for trails throughout New England to ride their bikes or hike on."

It's great to see lawmakers with such vision. State Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, is another of the project's supporters, making this a truly bipartisan effort. Way to go Massachusetts.

Grassroots Go-Ahead: Massachusetts Communities Take On Their Rail-Trail Ambitions

Jake Lynch — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:10:00 GMT

Undeterred by all the debate about trail funding at the federal level, local communities continue to let their trail-building actions do the talking.

Flicking through local newspapers out of Massachusetts during the past week, it is great to see local agencies and community groups rolling the sleeves up to advance their rail-trail ambitions. This grassroots energy speaks volumes about the demand across America for trail networks and bike and pedestrian infrastructure that better serve residents and local businesses.

In the state's northeast, the Danvers Rail Trail Advisory Committee has launched a mile-marker sponsorship program to fund the maintenance and improvement of the Danvers Rail Trail. The advisory committee is a town-appointed group that has directed development of the 4.3-mile rail-trail since the town of Danvers leased the corridor from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 2008.

Aware of the trail's tremendous recreational importance to the town, the citizens of Danvers have responded enthusiastically. A wide variety of locally owned businesses--everything from a hardware store and a beer company to a fish market, a photography business, even a dental-care practice--have paid $150 for a 4-inch by 4-inch marker along the trail, or $500 for a 4-inch by 8-inch marker in prime locations. Each blue-and-white decal (above) bears the sponsor's name, logo and dedication message. Local families have made generous contributions, too.

The homegrown energy behind the trail extends even further; the markers were prepared and installed by volunteers, and the initial cost of the posts and mileage decals was paid for by a local advocacy group, the Danvers Bi-Peds.

The new fundraising effort has so far generated about $4,100 to help realize the town's immediate plans for the trail, which include improving the trail surface in some sections with a compacted top coat of crushed-stone dust, and improving a boggy section north of Wenham Street.

About 30 miles to the west, in the town of Concord, town officials are discussing how to bring the growing Bruce Freeman Rail Trail into their community.

Following the 25-mile route of the former New Haven Railroad's Framingham and Lowell line, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail currently encompasses Lowell, Chelmsford and Westford. Having observed the popularity of the trail in those communities, the residents of Concord, and nearby Acton, voted to approve plans to extend the trail. Sudbury and Framingham, farther to the southwest, are also eager to develop the rail corridor into a connecting trail in their townships.

And today, the city of Newburyport is celebrating the beginning of a much sought-after project to connect the Old Eastern Marsh Trail and the Clipper City Rail Trail (above).

For proof that this project that will greatly please local residents and businesses, look no further than the list of guests of honor at the launch-- Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Richard A. Davey, state Rep. Michael Costello, and state Sen. Steven Baddour.

With Newburyport's and Salisbury's rail-trails booming in popularity, a safety issue emerged for those wanting to cross Route 1 at the northern end of the Gillis Bridge, to pass from one rail-trail to the other. Work on the connection, which will unlock a great expansion in the region's trail network, is expected to start in mid-March.

Photo of the Danvers Rail Trail sponsored mile-marker courtesy of the Danvers Rail Trail Advisory Committee.
Photo of the Clipper City Rail Trail courtesy of Geordie Vining/TrailLink.com.

Smith College Students Chip in on Local Rail-Trails

Jake Lynch — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:41:00 GMT

Across America, college campuses are often hubs of bicycling activity. Students and staff regularly depend on the local municipality having decent bike lanes and safe places to ride--indeed, the "bike-friendliness" of the college's city or town can sometimes be a selling point for prospective undergraduates.

But rather than just rely on their local trails, the students at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., have taken a proactive interest in their maintenance and development.

The college was recently heralded for its involvement with the Northampton rail-trail network, work that included funding new crosswalks and bike lanes, producing trail maps and studying future expansion possibilities for these crucial commuter and recreational pathways.

Students and staff worked with local authorities on the creation of bike paths on the main roads by campus, which dovetail with the rail-trails that been opened throughout Northampton in the last few years.

A number of students also used internships with the Office of Planning and Development to promote bikeability around campus; one student helped coordinate trail ribbon-cutting events, another studied how many people are within easy walking distance of the new trails, and a third developed an application for national trail status.

Smith College students also run their own Bike Kitchen, pictured at right, which offers bicycle repair and maintenance workshops, and provides refurbished bikes for students who can't afford their own.

As a result of its tremendous work, Smith College was awarded the 2011 Trail Neighbor Award by the Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways (FNTG), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the development of local trails and greenways.

The Bike Kitchen, and the students' support of their local rail-trails, are great examples of how colleges can encourage biking around their campuses, providing students and staff with better transportation options and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Congratulations to Smith College, and keep up the good work!

Photo courtesy of Judith W. Roberge/Smith College.

Newburyport Celebrates Rail-Trail's First Year

Jake Lynch — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:29:00 GMT

The Clipper City Rail Trail in Newburyport, Mass., was almost 40 years in the making.

The idea of a rail-trail through the downtown area of this historical seaport on the mouth of the Merrimack River had been talked about since the railroad corridor there became inactive in the 1970s.

But in the last decade, the city made the development of a rail-trail a priority in its strategic and recreational planning, and today the Clipper City Rail Trail, opened in May 2010, is a spectacular asset, popular among locals and tourists alike.

So a few weekends ago, the people of Newburyport showed their appreciation for the trail by marking its first birthday with a community celebration, complete with a birthday cake designed by 8-year-old local resident Maddy Vining (pictured below with contest judges Bill Steelman and Mayor of Newburyport Donna Holaday).

A 1.1-mile multi-use pathway connecting a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station with the downtown shoreline of the Merrimack River, the rail-trail provides a vital connection to many local businesses, as well as forming an ideal pathway for visitors to explore the picturesque area on foot.

Recognizing the importance of the trail to commerce and recreation along the riverfront, more than 2,000 people came out to enjoy the birthday party, which featured a kids cake decorating competition, free cake samples, a raffle for cakes made by local professional bakers, trailside food vendors, roving musicians, planting and mulching with the Green Artist League, kayak rides on the Merrimack River, and free bike helmets courtesy of the Newburyport Police Department.

The Clipper City Rail Trail features an impressive display of public art installations, a riverside boardwalk made of tropical hardwood, and a number of stairway and spur trail connections to local bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. Two public schools located nearby, the River Valley Charter School and the Molin School, regularly use the trail for students and teachers to walk to downtown, the harbor, parks and other destinations.

Learn more about this wonderful recreational and commercial resource in downtown Newburyport!

Photos courtesy of Geordie Vining/City of Newburyport.