The Bay Colony Rail Trail

Location

With Phase 1 of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail completed it is time to consider amenities for the 6.8 mile segment.  We have invited key supporters of the Nashua River Rail Trail, Minuteman Commuter Bikeway and Assabet River Rail Trail to provide their expertise about amenities (e.g., benches, bike racks, kiosks, signage, restrooms, etc.).  In this panel discussion we will query the speakers about what amenities have been installed, what has worked, what hasn’t, what planning has to go into an installation of amenity, and how and who designates the need, specifies design, pays for the design, purchase and install, and finally maintains the installed amenity?  Also how does a Friends’ group works with the owner of the trail to provide the amenity, and how is liability assumed?  What amenities have worked, have not worked, which amenities are most loved; what are most desired, but have not been installed?  Focus will not be on fund-raising, but all other amenity logistics.  

The moderated session will allow plenty of time for questions from the audience.  A short update on other trail sections will also be provided by FBFRT Board Members attending. 

The Patrick-Murray Administration has announced that the Executive Office of Transportation has awarded $500,000 in Transportation Enhancements funding for final design of phase 2A of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

The Executive Office of Transportation was able to allocate this design funding shortly after the Massachusetts Highway Department completed construction of the rail trail’s Phase 1, a 6.8-mile shared-use path that connects Lowell, Chelmsford and Westford. When completed, the 25-mile Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will span eight Massachusetts communities with more than a quarter million residents, and connect with three MBTA commuter rail lines in Lowell, West Concord and Framingham.

“As we prepare to launch a new transportation organization Nov. 1, this award demonstrates our overall commitment to improving the Transportation Enhancements Program and to strengthening bicycle and pedestrian access in every corner of the commonwealth,” said Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr. “The transportation investments we make should promote choice, healthy recreation and support stronger communities.”

Next Wednesday, September 16th at 7:30, the First Parish Church in Needham will host a public transportation forum to address a proposed Green Line Extension from Newton Highlands to Needham. The forum is jointly sponsored by the Green Needham Collaborative and the Needham Heights Neighborhood Association.

Designers on 99Designs.com worked hard on our logo, and our community worked equally hard on responding to the logo survey. We are proud to present the result.

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A PDF document with the most current map of the trail is available here.