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.

​

​

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.

 

​

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

​

​

​

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?

​

 

​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

​

​

​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 

​

​

​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.