81 trail improvement projects across Massachusetts are being funded by the 2022 cycle of the MassTrails Grant Program, as announced by the Baker-Polito Administration late last month. The program is a collaboration of the Governor’s Office, MassDOT, MassDCR, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, an inter-agency effort that hints at the multipleContinue reading “2022 MassTrails grantees announced”
Author Archives: jsbrubaker
Twin Cities Rail Trail, Phase 1, is open
The inaugural section of the Twin Cities Rail Trail between Leominster and Fitchburg, Massachusetts, officially opened this past Wednesday. Though people have already been using it in its near-finished state, excited advocates wasted no time in enjoying the “official” version via a very early summer solstice dawn stroll, as posted on the TCRT Facebook page.Continue reading “Twin Cities Rail Trail, Phase 1, is open”
Stop at Potter Place when you ride the Northern Rail Trail
As we celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day and state Juneteenth holidays, we are obligated to remember the terrible legacy of slavery and celebrate the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Confederate states, where slavery trudged painfully onward for years after the Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863. …it was not until June 19th, 1865,Continue reading “Stop at Potter Place when you ride the Northern Rail Trail”
Design funding is secured to extend the Eastern Trail south
Back from a long writing break! We’re well into trail riding and construction season here in New England, and there’s been so much progress on trail development. I have a lot to catch up on. Starting in Southern Maine, the vision for completing the Eastern Trail took a big step forward last month. On BikeContinue reading “Design funding is secured to extend the Eastern Trail south”
Belmont Community Path gets to 25% plans
Source of featured image above: https://belmontcommunitypath.com/ Hello Infrastructure Week! In this week in which the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed by President Biden, there’s a lot of New England trail news. Actually, some of it is older, I’m just catching up. Hopefully I’ll get to good news from the Ocean State andContinue reading “Belmont Community Path gets to 25% plans”
Massachusetts ups the ante on bike-ped bridge to casino
The headline is understated, but I had to get the pun in there. On October 22, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts committed to funding the long-planned bike-ped bridge over the Mystic River that will connect Assembly Station in Somerville with the Encore Casino in Everett. The 785-foot structure will pass under, and then bow around, theContinue reading “Massachusetts ups the ante on bike-ped bridge to casino”
Two ribbon cuttings
I’ve written about biking on the new Cochituate Rail Trail after it “unofficially” opened. Well, now it’s official. The ribbon cutting happened on September 28, with lots of smiles beaming through the rain, as politicians and advocates contemplated this new community asset that they had. This is a milestone on our transformation as a region,Continue reading “Two ribbon cuttings”
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Phase IV under construction
It’s a short extension of a long trail, but it’s an important one. Public officials and cycling advocates tossed shovels full of dirt Monday [Sept. 13] to celebrate the start of construction of the city’s final leg of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail—which when finished in December 2022, will finally connect downtown to Long Wharf…Continue reading “Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Phase IV under construction”
Envisioning the potential of the Cheshire Rail Trail
When I think about some of the best smaller, more rural New England communities for bicycle and pedestrian paths, a few come to mind. First, there’s Nantucket, with its network of sidepaths and other shared use paths linking town and beach, but that’s kind of an outlier (literally and figuratively): an island community and well-knownContinue reading “Envisioning the potential of the Cheshire Rail Trail”
A late-summer ride on the Cochituate Rail Trail extension
The extension of the Cochituate Rail Trail 2.2 miles southeast from Route 30 in Natick to Natick Center hasn’t had its official ceremonial opening yet, but that didn’t stop large numbers of people (including Eve and me) from using it Saturday in its “unofficially open, usable” status. Here’s a sampling of photos from the returnContinue reading “A late-summer ride on the Cochituate Rail Trail extension”
Jeff Brubaker 