The Bay Colony Rail Trail

We're happy to report that in both Medfield and Dover, town meetings passed respective articles to allocate some nominal funds to contunue researching the rail trail, and to develop proposals for how the rail trail could be developed in each community.

In each case, the vote was more important than simply enabling further study (which would have proceded anyway). It was an opportunity to raise broader awareness about the project, and begin debating the issues. In Medfield, a public meeting prior to the vote weas well attended and, though it seemed as if attendees were supportive, it did allow the opportunity to hear specific questions, such as discouraging parking along Colonial Drive for people driving to the rail trail.

Over the past several months, there has been a lot of activity related to the Bay Colony Rail Trail. It has been really exciting to see the project gain momentum, and to see all three towns actively engaged. This is an update on recent developments, including a couple of critical town votes on the rail trail.

The Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force launched a website to promote the conversion of the Newton Upper Falls Greenway. For a detailed map and more information, visit http://www.upperfallsgreenway.org.

Frequently Asked Questions About Creating an Interim, Low-Cost Rail Trail

The Bay Colony Rail Trail is investigating the prospect of working with an organization called Iron Horse Preservation Society to remove the rails and ties from the unused railroad corridor running through Medfield, Dover, Needham and Newton. Once the existing materials are removed, the organization would create a crushed stone path – potentially at no cost to the community. This would result in the creation of a “linear park” as a recreational and environmental resource for the community that could reach completion in less time than most rail-trail projects across the country.

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.