Featured image: Not the latest BFRT segment in Sudbury — I haven’t been on it yet and don’t have a photo; see StreetsblogMASS article for a great one — so using this 2018 photo of the then-new Phase 2A going through Acton
Making a 2026 pact to get these articles rolling again after another long break…
As we start the new year, StreetsblogMASS has good news and good news for Massachusetts trails.
The first bit of good news in Christian MilNeil’s Dec. 23 post is that 2025 saw the completion of “approximately 40 miles’ worth of new shared-use paths and curb-protected bikeways across the state – part of a growing network that’s becoming more connected and extensive every year”.
This Class of 2025 includes the 5-mile Bruce Freeman Rail Trail segment extending into Sudbury, 4.5-mile paths in Sandwich and Norton + Mansfield, and shorter segments. StreetsblogMASS covered the BFRT extension soft opening in October.
The second bit of good news involves a new round of trails expected to open in 2026. Sudbury again features prominently, as the 7.5-mile Mass Central Rail Trail link between Sudbury and Hudson will have its ribbon cutting. MilNeil notes that the project is “mostly complete, and lots of people are already using the new path”. With these two projects, Sudbury has become a hub for two major regional trails! There’s a long history building up to that status.
He goes on to list other 2026 trail openings in Lynn, Boston (Mattapan, Allston & Brighton), and Newton (Auburndale), plus those trails expected to break ground, such as the long-awaited Mystic River bike-ped bridge.
Much credit to MassDOT for leading many of these projects, the municipalities for their partnership, the trail groups for their advocacy, and StreetsblogMASS for covering this trail progress in detail!
Jeff Brubaker 