Bringing Together 27 Communities
Founded in 2025, the Mass Central Rail Trail Alliance is an active collaboration among 27 towns and related trail organizations seeking to complete a safe MCRT route across Massachusetts. The MCRT Alliance works toward the vision of a beautiful, safe, and complete rail trail between Northampton and Boston that serves as a resource to local communities and travelers worldwide.
The MCRT Alliance unites key organizations and agencies, local businesses, community leaders, cities, and towns along the trail to advocate for its completion, support strong local rail trail organizations, foster economic development and recreation along the trail, raise public awareness and excitement for this project, and continue encouraging the state to prioritize this project until it is complete.
MCRT Alliance Goals
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Show significant progress each year in completing MCRT sections
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Support local and state efforts to complete the MCRT
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Encourage recognition and exploration of the MCRT by the public
Board Members
​Glenn Pransky – President
Stephen Donnelly – Clerk
Jill Kopka – Treasurer
Brennan Wall – Vice Clerk
Colleen Abrams
Ben Bayes
Tom Green
​Elizabeth Johnson
Robert Kusner
Jessica Milan
Alan Moore
Danny Noenickx
Geof Tillotson
In addition to the MCRT Alliance and Board, we have important partners from communities across the entire MCRT, from state agencies, and from private foundations.
Get Involved
We encourage you to reach out to the organization in your town working to complete and enhance the MCRT. Many towns have dedicated groups who are funding, building, maintaining, and encouraging people to use their section of the MCRT - go to your town's page for a link.
The MCRT Alliance is always eager to have volunteers help with publicity, advocacy, education and outreach - please contact us at info@mcrt.org and let us know about your interests.
Sign up for our quarterly newsletter here and stay informed about developments along the trail, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
History of the MCRT -
From the charter for the Massachusetts Central Railroad in 1869 to the beginning of the rail trail in 1980 to over 60 miles completed today, the origins of the MCRT reflect a rich history spanning the entire commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Take an interactive journey through the history of the MCRT.
