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Rail Trail Newsletter #84 - December 2023
  • After nearly 30 years of being under development, two projects are finally coming to a conclusion.

  • The old RR bridges over Rt 128/I-95 and over the Fitchburg Commuter Rail at Weston-Waltham are now funded to be upgraded and finished for the MCRT.

  • Southampton Greenway trail advancing, at long last

  • More detailed information about the N-S trail can be seen at the site for the umbrella group. New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway.

  • This new trail is open year-round in Poughkeepsie Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal

  • CT city boosts efforts for trail linking to ECG. It’s about much more than recreation. By KENNETH R. GOSSELIN gosselin@courant.com Hartford Courant 

  • East Midtown Greenway Opens To Huge Crowd And Rave Reviews

  • How a rail trail sparked a fight pitting outdoor recreation against rare species By Amanda Gokee, Globe

  • 3 of America's picturesque hiking trails are now considered national parks, and one of them cuts through Massachusetts.

  • Here's what is being developed in the SW region of NH. Just over the border from Mass.

  • Monadnock Region, NH Rail Trail Collaborative Annual Report.

  • The Dutch love to cycle. So much so that there are more than 35,000 km (over 21,747 miles) of cycle paths

  • Cape boating, fishing, biking contribute millions to state's outdoor recreation economy by Denise Coffey Cape Cod Times

  • A couple of more stories about entrepreneurs opening their businesses near the trail

  • Mike Switzer interviews Mary Walsh, co-founder of Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery in Greenville, SC.

  • ​Rail Trail Flatbread Co. opens 2nd restaurant, investing in Milford, Mass.

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Rail Trail Newsletter #83 - November 2023
  • Clinton Greenway Conservation Trust recently installed a nice descriptive plaque on one of the milemarkers along their section of the MCRT

  • WESTON, MA — Weston police are investigating a fabricated stabbing that supposedly happened Tuesday afternoon along the Weston section of the Mass Central Rail Trail

  • Here's a link to the entire Golden Spike conference.  All 2.25 hours of the indoor section. This was filmed by the Town of Natick's Cable Access 

  • Here's a link to a "Highlight Reel", a 17 minute video by Reelife Productions of Williamsburg 

  • A recent BIKE TALK Podcast by Nick Reichert was about GS2023

  • The MCRT under-construction in Hudson will soon cross beneath Chestnut St. by way of a brand new tunnel

  • Guest editorial: Connected trails in VT can provide recreation and economic prosperity

  • East Bay Bike Path bridges in RI are finally getting replaced, but will fishermen lose out?

  • Quietly and slowly, but underway right now, is a rebranding of the longest interstate trail in New England, to have only one name instead of 12.

  • NH Seacoast Greenway and more trails to unseen Portsmouth to be completed in 2024 

  • The City of Keene NH has recently started work on the federally funded Transportation Heritage Trail (Phase I) project.

  • Adirondack, NY Rail Trail small business grant proposals being sought. 

  • $223,478 State Grant Secured For Farmington River Rail Trail Project.

  • Reduce. Reuse. Remediate? The clean-up of abandoned industrial lots 

  • All aboard the Cambridge ‘bike bus,’ where parents and kids find strength in numbers as they bike to school

  • How bad is Boston traffic? It’s on the sidewalk now. 

  • Think you need another car? Consider an e-bike instead.

  • Since the fall of 2019, this writer has biked his groceries home roughly 50 times.

  • Cycling TV Journalist Orla Chennaoui Defends Her Choice Not to Wear a Helmet

  • To be clear, she's based in Amsterdam

 
Rail Trail Newsletter #82 - October 2023
  • Ware River Park officially opens in Gilbertville section of Hardwick

  • The Mass Central Rail Trail's Norwottuck branch's closed tunnel under Rt 9 now has a prim-and-proper detour around the construction

  • Tunnel on Hadley Rail Trail reopens....And what about the curve at the new, eastern end?

  • Letter: Construction Around Rail Trail Underpass Requires Special Attention To Sight Lines by  Rob Kusner.

  • SWAMPSCOTT SETTLES ON BIKE PATH PROJECT

  • Massachusetts Bicycle Commuter Benefits Signed Into Law!

  • Trail up CT's spine charts a new path

  • Letter to Hugh Bailey describing the bigger picture issues that were not mentioned in his piece.

  •  Infographic that shows the 3 passenger rail stations on these two corridors that could allow trail users to get back to their starting point via rail. 

  • Do communities form trails”¦ or do trails form communities?

  • The bright future of the Pedestrian Bridge.

 
 
Rail Trail Newsletter #81 - September 2023
  • WAMC an NPR station out of Albany NY area picks up the story and interviews Paul Jahnige about this new Office of Outdoor Recreation

  • Healey-Driscoll Administration Names Director of Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation

  • From building trails to opening doors: Williamsburg’s Paul Jahnige named state’s outdoor recreation chief. 

  • MCRT Kiosk Dedicated at Gibbs Crossing, Ware

  • Another section-- 5/8 mile opening on 9-26 in Gilbertville. 

  • The Mass Central Rail Trail's Norwottuck branch is the only ADA-accessible route across the Town of Hadley, 

  • Hadley Rail Trail work shuts popular commute route for cyclists 

  • A photo essay about the Bruce Freeman and the Mass Central Rail Trails in Sudbury by Len Simon.

  • The Rail Trails Advisory Committee (RTAC) did a walking/driving tour on the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT)

  • Westfield marks completion of the 25-year effort for Columbia Greenway Rail Trail 

  • Upgrade underway on Bennington, VT Pathway

  • Ribbon Cut on Williamstown's Mohican Trail 

  • Natick's 1st Accessible Cycling Event Comes To Cochituate Rail Trail 

  • Studios Without Walls: art exhibit featured along the Cochituate Rail Trail 

  • State Advisory Council endorses the Merrymeeting Trail!

  • Woonasquatucket River Green-way a Slice of Nature in an Urban Setting 

  • Pontevedra, Spain, offers some of the best evidence available about what happens when a city is reconfigured to accommodate people, rather than cars.

  • Guest columnist - Shock and horror (mostly horror) about the new so-called redesign of Main Street Northampton.

  • Newburyport, MA took hundreds of prime waterfront parking spots to expand a park, prompting a major controversy.

 
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Rail Trail Newsletter #80 - August 2023
  • WALK MASSACHUSETTS has invited me to be the September speaker at their monthly webinar series.

  • Historic Northampton asked me to do a hybrid presentation. In-person and on Zoom. 9-2

  • Kevin LaHaise of Sudbury publishes a free weekly e-newsletter about happenings in Sudbury.

  • Here's a quick one-pager, recent update on plans in Sudbury. 

  • Our 9th GOLDEN SPIKE CONFERENCE will be held on Saturday 10-14-23 at the AMVETs facility at 79 Superior Dr. Natick. 

  • After almost 30 years of advocacy, rail trail will link Standish to Fryeburg, 

  • Gov. Mills authorizes Fryeburg-to-Standish rail trail

  •  Update about happenings in CT from the East Coast Greenway.

  • The Emerald Network builds on this portfolio of 100 miles of greenways to create a seamless 200+ mile network across the urban core

  • Hometown Hero: The long and winding road in Concord, NH is off and running 

  • Train wheel benches grace Danvers Rail Trail

  •  Another recent story about the Concord Lake Sunapee Rail trail. 

  • Le Gal’s new collection “Art Inspired by the New Lynn Bike Path” at Galleries at LynnArts will premiere Thursday, Aug. 31,

  • Fun fall excursion - 5 Covered RR bridges on rail trails in Northern New England.

  • Awe-inspiring bicycle infrastructure around the world

  • The best cities to fall in love with the bicycle all over again

  • California Cities taking the initial steps to reign-in speeding e-bikes

  • PEOPLE FOR BIKES 2023 List of the Most Bike-Friendly Cities is Out. Topping the list this year is PROVINCETOWN, MA

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Rail Trail Newsletter #79 - July 2023
  • A VISION COMING TRUE: Study finds 104-mile rail trail connecting Northampton-Boston would generate millions, increase health

  • Norwottuck Network backs completion of Mass. Central Rail Trail system

  • Waltham Gets $500K Grant For Linden Street Bridge Restoration

  • A study initiated by the Norwottuck Network to assess the benefits of the completion of the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail

  • Episode 170: July 10, 2023 - Joe Bednar talks about the MCRT with Craig Della Penna.

  • 2 lectures coming up in September 9-20-23 @ 1:00 PM, a Zoom webinar for Walk Massachusetts,  9-27-23 @ 7:00 PM, in-person and on Zoom at Historic Northampton.

  • SAVE THE DATE!! Our 9th GOLDEN SPIKE CONFERENCE will be held on Saturday 10-14-23 at the AmVets facility at 79 Superior Dr. Natick.

  • Deal reached to extend Twin Cities Rail Trail to downtown Leominster

  • Inside North Central Massachusetts: On The Trail at the Twin Cities Rail Trail.

  • Ron Chick and Mary Kate Feeney from Framingham are going to be tour leaders for TOUR 6 at the Golden Spike 2023 conference in Natick on Oct 14, 2023.

  • Hometown Hero: The long and winding road in Concord, NH is off and running.

  • Westfield physician is bicycling from Pacific to Atlantic to benefit rail trail 

  • Another Gap's Gone On the Northern Strand Trail In Everett, MA

  • New rail trail bridge in Slingerlands, NY buckles during construction

  • As Downtowns Struggle, Businesses Learn to Love Bike Lanes 

  • Corporate Landscaping tries something different.

 
Rail Trail Newsletter #78 - June 2023
  • Important and compelling report was released. with a survey

  • Community Path in Somerville opens on June 10, 2023

  • NH DOT's Derry Rail Trail design drops a tunnel - and users' hopes for safety

  • MassDOT Announces New Interactive Priority Trails Network Vision Map for Statewide Shared-Use Paths

  • Looking for a fun place to go on a hike? --The Keystone Arch Bridges

  • On Cape Cod, half of this highway is being turned into a bike path to connect Provincetown, MA, to the beach

  • Walking the Wachusett Aqueduct in Northborough brings history to life 

  • Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Over $11 Million in Grant Funding for 68 Trail Improvement Projects in Massachusetts.

  • Governor Phil Scott and Senator Bernie Sanders to Celebrate the Newly Completed Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. 

  • Vermont Gov. Phil Scott saddles up on Sat, July 15, for a 93-mile bike ride to celebrate the official opening of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

  • The newly opened Shining Tides mile of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail is part of the South Coast Bikeway.

  • City of Fall River completes extension of Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail

  • Leave a Legacy: Build a Trail - Older adults are working together to leave a lasting legacy of scenic trails

  • Santa Monica’s Ocean Ave Protected Bikeway Installation Captures the World’s Attention 

  • US Cities Are Failing Their Female Cyclists  

  • Installing bike racks can also heavily benefit your local business

  • Boston Mayor Wu Admin Announces ‘Safety Surge’ of Traffic Calming for Neighborhood Street.

 
Rail Trail Newsletter #77 - May 2023
  • THE REPORT and a 1 page summary of the Statewide Connections Benefits Report

  • Benefits of shared use paths

  • Cambridge Crossing arrives after two decades. It was worth the wait.

  • Slide presentation showing construction in Sudbury on both the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the Mass Central Rail Trail

  • MBTA In Court Over Lawsuit Involving Mass Central Rail in Sudbury

  • Unresolved Accessibility Issues Push Somerville Community Path Opening to Mid-June 

  • SAVE THE DATE!! Our 9th GOLDEN SPIKE CONFERENCE will be held on Saturday 10-14-23 

  • Compelling Letter by Craig Della Penna to Maine about the Mt. Division trail.

  • FRIENDS OF THE SOUTHAMPTON GREENWAY Meeting for 2023!! 

  • The Northern Strand Trail Is Growing In Lynn and Everett

  • Fall River is building more rail trail, with a goal to connect Cape Cod to RI by bike

  • Europe just got its first solar-covered cycling path 

  • During the pandemic, cities opened their streets to pedestrians. So what now?

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​Rail Trail Newsletter #76 - March 2023
  • MBTA Seeks Dismissal Of Lawsuit That Could Stall Mass Central Rail Trail

  • 3 Major MetroWest Trail Projects Are Under Construction In 2023

  • LOOKING FOR A FUN FAMILY ACTIVITY? SATURDAY, APRIL 22 FROM 10-2. "PARK SERVE DAY"

  • Our interactive MCRT map is coming back to life.

  • SAVE THE DATE!! Our 9th GOLDEN SPIKE CONFERENCE will be held on Saturday 10-14-23

  • LYNN/NAHANT BIKE LANES MAPPED OUT

  • Westfield City Council asked to sign letter joining the 81- mile rail trail

  • The Mattapoisett Bike Path - Bike Path Boardwalk Opening Soon

  • Officials on Cape Cod Now Open To Removing Rail Line For Bike Path

  • Legislative Budget writers back NH DOT in Derry rail trail dispute

  • UNPAVED TRAILS FOR ALL.

  • Northfield seeks $12.5M federal grant to replace Schell Bridge

  • Keeping the Cochituate Rail Trail in Natick tidy

  • Vigil for Crash Victims Amplifies Need for Safer Streets in Springfield

  • Chicopee suffers third fatal pedestrian accident on one Chicopee Street since November

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​Rail Trail Newsletter #75 - February 2023
  • Sadly, we have to report that our friend, Tom Kelleher suddenly and unexpectedly passed away

  • Lawsuit Over Sudbury Eversource, Rail Trail Project Dismissed By Judge

  • Mass Central Rail Trial Economic Study with Kittelson & Associates is still under-development

  • The Town of Ware is building a kiosk dedicated to Steven Hawk

  • Magazine article by Craig Della Penna related to rail trails and living next to one.

  • Leominster and Fitchburg’s New Rail-Trail Gets Creative With Winter Maintenance

  • Lamoille Valley Rail Trail expects to open mid 2023

  • Op-ed piece from 2003, for the Hardwick, VT Newspaper, that talked about why the railroad wasn't economically viable anymore and why it needed to become a trail.

  • Another editorial by Atty. Hans Huessy in the Stowe, VT newspaper, 15+ years later, in 2019 and the trail still wasn't built.

  • As the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail nears completion, northern Vt. towns prepare for tourists

  • Danville's 151-year-old train station is getting a makeover

  • Maine State council backs the creation of a new rail trail between Auburn and Portland

  • Revival: The Story of the Minuteman Bikeway

  • Here's where the well loved Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is heading next in Pittsfield 

  • Schumer Launches Major Push For New Funding-YONKERS

  • Five Covered RR Bridges are still standing on some rail trails in VT and NH.

  • And here is Tim Blagden and his wife and daughter on the Concord & Lake Sunapee Rail Trail in NH.

  • Long Island Greenway May Roll Through South Fork: 175-mile route would be like Empire State Trail

  • The Open Space Institute unveils Ambitious Growing Greenways Plan

  • City of Springfield Wins $15 Million to Improve Street Safety Citywide 

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​Rail Trail Newsletter #74 - January 2023
  • Clinton trail development work is in process!

  • Feds Decline Sudbury Rail Line Case, Opponents Say They 'Can Prevail'

  • Friends of the Belchertown Greenway felt it was necessary to take a look at the old trestle bridge over the Jabish Brook 

  • Maine DOT unveils a series of plans across their entire spectrum of realms.

  • Rail trail running through Dutchess and Columbia Counties in eastern NY gets $375,000 grant

  • $3 Million earmarked for the BFRT's new Framingham segment

  • Trails caucus to be re-launched in state Legislature BOSTON

  • 6,000 days later: Framingham on track to buy corridor for rail trail

  • Framingham Mayor Finalizes Purchase Of 3.5 Miles For Freeman Rail Trail

  • Who Doesn't Want A Bike Path On Wauwinet Road, Nantucket?  Wauwinet Property Owners

  • The big news in this issue is that Southampton has purchased their dead RR

  • Westfield rail trail’s downtown extension on track for spring opening 

  • 3 new segments of VT's Lamoille Valley Rail Trail open 

  • National Trade Magazine for the electrical utility industry talking about a need to put a lot of the grid underground.

  • Eversource installing electric cables under the Shining Sea Trail in Falmouth this winter.

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