Massachusetts Awards Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Grant in Adams

The rail trail has always been my go-to place for a nice stroll to get some steps in. As a kid, I rode my bicycle all the time. With the trail's expansion since it opened in 2001, maybe this is my cue to buy myself a new bicycle.

Recently, Governor Maura Healey allocated $64,700 in state grants to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to support the development of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion. Here's how it all plays out.

Massachusetts Awards Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Grant in Adams

The Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance program, run by the state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office, provided the award. This funding follows a $17.3 million federal grant from last year. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will use it to survey transportation needs in northern Berkshire County and plan the trail extension.

The planning commission plans to use a University of Michigan survey to examine the local community's transportation needs. The survey will evaluate transportation insecurity and identify obstacles that prevent residents from accessing dependable, affordable transit services.

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Where Will The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Be Expanded To?

The A2A Project aims to develop a 9.3-mile shared-use trail that links the existing Ashuwillticook Rail Trail with the Williamstown Mohican Path. The route will pass through downtown North Adams and the MASS MoCA campus.

It won't be simple because construction must run parallel to active railroad tracks instead of replacing them, as the current trail does in Adams. Additionally, it will need to navigate the curves of the Hoosic River and coordinate with the federal railroad agency, as well as property owners such as Mass MoCA and Tourists Lodge, along the route.

The project may be a few years away, but costs are at least heading in the right direction.