Rail Trail Newsletter 9-9-2019 #38
Greetings!

And where did the summer go this year. A blur as they say. Fall is usually a busy time for me with lectures. This year is no different with two that are pretty significant A lecture next weekend in Lowell before the B&M Railroad Hhistorical Society which will be fun. I'll be teacking a group of rail fans what is going on with all the dead railroads around here. And one lecture that will have 'legs' as they say.

This will be at the NHDOT Rail Trail Coference on 10-26 where I'll be talking about bike-ped bridges being built all over the country. This presentation is going to be living-on at least two and maybe three websites--for a long, long time.

We have a large number of stories below this time because I'm a bit delayed in getting this E-newsletter out. Busy with real estate. I hope you enjoy. THere area a couple of notable stories too. Twin City Rail Trail. OMG! 16 years in and now things are starting to move ahead. Finally. And oh my god, Norton too. Back in the early 2000s, the idea of a rail trail there was definitely seen as a new-fangled idea that the residents of Norton were very unsure about. This too is moving forward.

Also are a couple of good letters to the editor from pro-trail writers involved in the 'to-do's' in Lynnfield and Dedham. Go team! And by the way, Lynnfield is voting on September 26 to fund [or not] the design of the trail there.

Enjoy.

Craig Della Penna
413 575 2277
Sugar Maple Trailside Inn
62 Chestnut Street
Northampton, MA 01062
MCRT
In the News
Artifact Cider to open taproom in Florence,
Located in Florence just off of the Northampton Bikeway, [Mass Central Rail Trail--CDP] the destination cider house showcases New England apples on tap.
Cider fans are now able to sip some of the finest expressions of New England cider available, right near the source: Artifact Cider Project has a new taproom in downtown Florence, a Northampton village near the Western Massachusetts orchards where many of Artifact’s cider apples are grown. Read more here.
The City of Northampton has re-installed milemarker
N-0 / B-104
The photo above is of the replaced mile marker right next to Union Station in downtown Northampton. After it is re-painted with black letters on a white background, there will be a ceremony this fall to commermorate this. Here's a link to the repainting of marker N-68 / B 36 in Clinton this spring.
Starting next month this E-newsletter will be rebanded
This then will be under the flag of the Norwottuck Network.
NN is a 501c3, non-profit organization set up as a micro funding entity tp benefit and expedite the buildiout of hte MCRT.
One of the programs we'll be setting up will be a way to help fund the reinstallation of mile markers along the entire ROW of the Mass Central Rail Trail. Learm more by going to the website. Norwottuck Network.
Communities on the 
 on the MCRT and their websites

Did you know that many communities (or groups like land trusts) on the MCRT alignment are working on their section of the trail? 

Here are links to websites where you can learn who the contact person is, when these groups meet, when hearings are being planned and how to sign up to get notices sent to you directly.
Belmont: Link here  to the town appointed committee. 
Belmont: Link here  to the Belmont Citizens Forum.
Belmont: Link here to the Friends of the Community Path Facebook group.
Somerville: Link here to the Friends of the Community Path Facebook group. 
Waltham: Link here to the Waltham Land Trust's site.
Walham: Link here to the Waltham Bike Committee.
Waltham: Link here to the City's page about the MCRT.
Weston: Link here to the town's page about the MCRT
Wayland: Link here . 
Sudbury: Link here for the N-S intersecting trail--Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. 
Hudson: Link here for the NE-SW intersecting trail--Assabet River Rail Trail.
Berlin-Hudson: Link here to the new FaceBook group.
Berlin: Link here goes to the town's Rail Trail Committee. They also have a pretty nice website with pictures of the existing dead RR corridor along other maps and images of a future trail. Link here .
Wayside segment of the MCRT: Link here to a history of DCR's efforts on this.
Clinton Greenway Conservation Trust: Link here .
Wachusett Greenways area: Link here .
East Quabbin Land Trust: Link here . 
Palmer coming soon 
Ware:  Link here to the Facebook group about this segment of the MCRT'. 
Belchertown: Link for the nascent site for Friends of the Belchertown Greenway.
Amherst, Hadley on DCR's Norwottuck section of the MCRT: Link here .
Northampton area: Link here to the Friends of Northampton Trails website.
Northampton area: Link here to the Friends of Northampton Trails Facebook.
AND IN OTHER NEWS
AROUND THE REGION
Complete Street Funding Program Awards
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito today joined Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, and local officials in Springfield to announce funding awards totaling $5.1 million to eighteen communities through the Complete Streets Funding Program to support local, multimodal infrastructure projects that improve accessibility for people walking, biking, taking transit, and using other forms of transportation. Read more here.
Make Whiting Avenue Safer For Bikes And Pedestrians
by Georganna Woods
DEDHAM, MA — In 2010 when the Town of Dedham/School Department wanted to construct the Avery School on the abandoned rail corridor, they had to comply with Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 40, section 54A.
[There's that pesky and sometimes ignored 40/54A law again. CDP]
Rail Trail in to expand into the Cheney District
By Christopher McDermott 
MANCHESTER, CT — Town staff expect an expansion of the Cheney Rail Trail will be ready by the end of October, creating a connection from Center Springs Park to the Charter Oak Greenway that parallels Interstate 384. Bockus said he is particularly excited about work in uncovering and restoring visibility to an old railroad depot that shows a piece of local history. Read more here. [btw, this former railroad was privately owned and was the shortest railroad in the U.S. CDP]

  First phase of Kingston Point NY Rail Trail opens
It was a milestone day. After more than 9 years of hard work by so many committed people, the Kingston Point Rail Trail was officially opened today. I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition. Thank you to all involved including the Kingston Land Trust/Greenline Committee, and the City Of Kingston. Kirby the cute Westie even got to take a walk on it. Read more .
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At Providence River PedBridge opening, the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition demands funding restored to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects
As Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and other political dignitaries prepared to officially open the new Providence River Pedestrian Bridge, they were greeted by activists representing the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition concerned about proposed cuts to the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure budgets at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). Read more here .
$22M Providence Pedestrian Bridge is officially open; supporters say it’s worth every penny
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — After nearly three years in the making, a grand opening ceremony Friday morning marked the opening of the new Providence River Pedestrian Bridge.
The new pedestrian bridge is built on the former I-195 land that spans 450 feet over the Providence River. It is finished with a modern and sleek design that connects the east and west sides of the Providence river between Fox Point to the east and the Jewelry District to the west. Read more here.
Leominster City Council approves Easements for Twin City Rail Trail
LEOMINSTER — After a summer of intense community debate, city councilors voted unanimously on Monday to approve easements needed to move forward with the Twin Cities Rail Trail, a 4.5-mile bike path that will connect Leominster and Fitchburg. In total, the city is expected to establish seven permanent easements and 24 temporary easements along the trail, which will extend the length of the old Fitchburg & Worcester Railroad line. The city purchased the land from its most recent owners, CSX Corp. Read more here . [Whew, glad this is ready to move forward now. It has only been 16 yeras so far. CDP]
Green light for a green mile of ‘rail with trail’ in N.J.
The route of a onetime Reading Railroad line that helped create and connect Camden County communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is being reborn as a walking and bicycling trail in the 21st.
A one-mile segment of the planned  Cross Camden County Trail  along East Atlantic Avenue between Audubon and Haddon Heights is expected to open in 2021. Eventually,  the 32-mile county trail  from Camden to Winslow Township will link to the 800-mile Philadelphia regional  Circuit Trails  system, and to Shore trails as well. Read more here .
$5M Seacoast rail trail deal up for vote
HAMPTON -- The state is close to purchasing Pan Am Railways’ abandoned rail corridor that runs from Hampton to Portsmouth for the future use as a Seacoast rail trail.
The state’s Executive Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to authorize a $5 million purchase of Pan Am’s 9.6-mile abandoned railway running through Hampton, North Hampton, Rye, Greenland and Portsmouth. The stretch would be included in the Seacoast Greenway, a pedestrian and biking trail that would run from the Massachusetts border in Seabrook to the Maine border in Portsmouth. Read more here .
PROVIDENCE — Patrick MacDonald’s first memory after the accident was waking up in the intensive-care unit and thinking it was the coffee shop in which he worked. Why was he tied down, he wondered, and why was his vision suffused with green light?
On Dec. 12, 2018, MacDonald, a resident of North Providence who was living in Savannah, Ga., for the winter, was bicycling to work through an industrial area when a car turned left across the two-lane road and T-boned him. Read more. And read more here.
Basch: Cross Vermont Trail serves up patchwork of urban and rural life
In less than a mile, the Cross Vermont Trail displayed its lovable quirkiness.
First, cross over the Winooski River on a paved steel arch bridge. Then follow a gravel path into Hope Cemetery where I could swear the spirits of several dead Vermont governors and Revolutionary War soldiers provided a phantom tailwind pushing me onto a dirt path along a cornfield. Read more
With Swanzey rail to trails work, cyclists will see smoother ride
SWANZEY — For several miles south of Keene, the Ashuelot Rail Trail is a smooth dirt-and-crushed-stone path through the woods. Then, somewhere around West Swanzey, the trail gets rougher. Read more here .
Long-delayed bike path will link Mansfield and Norton
In a few years, you should be able to much more easily and safely walk, bike or jog from Mansfield through Norton and to near Taunton.
A long-awaited extension of the Mansfield rail trail is finally poised to become a reality, something backers say will help bring residents and the communities together.
Funding is earmarked for the $3.8 million project, which is scheduled to begin in spring 2022 and wrap up around 2023. Read more .
There is a movement in cities across the world to reclaim underutilized infrastructure and reimagine it as public space.


Calgary cyclists caught speeding on bike paths could be fined $400
Cyclists zooming on Calgary’s many bike paths will have to pay more attention to their speeds if they want to avoid a hefty ticket.
According to a change in a City of Calgary bylaw, the fine for pedalling 10 to 15 kilometres over the posted speed limit — typically 20 km/h — could net a cyclist a fine of up to $400 — that’s up significantly from the previous $50 ding. Read more here.
Downtown-wide Walldogs mural festival kicks off in Keene, NH
The Walldogs have arrived in Keene.
In an event nearly two years in the making, the collective of sign painters and muralists began creating the Magical History Tour Wednesday, a series of 16 vintage-themed murals chronicling important pieces of the Elm City’s past. Read more .
Opinion: Supporting Trail Makes Sense For Town, Residents
Letter to the Editor from Lynnfield's Kevin Sullivan:
I am writing in response to my colleague Nancy Alexander's recent letter to the editor.
Nancy expressed her reasons for not supporting the $348K article to fund the final design. Though I share her concerns about the town's infrastructure, the town can, and should, and is addressing areas of need and opportunity. Read more here .
Long-delayed bike path will link Mansfield and Norton
In a few years, you should be able to much more easily and safely walk, bike or jog from Mansfield through Norton and to near Taunton.
A long-awaited extension of the Mansfield rail trail is finally poised to become a reality, something backers say will help bring residents and the communities together.
Funding is earmarked for the $3.8 million project, which is scheduled to begin in spring 2022 and wrap up around 2023. Read more .
Orange = high altitude stories
Interesting Stories From Around the Country -- and Sometimes Beyond
Why You Should Care That Fewer Kids Are Riding Bikes
We owe it to our children to get them on two wheels
Here in America, the number of kids who ride bikes  has declined  by 19 percent since 2007, and 2018 holiday bikes sales were down 10 percent from 2017. Advocates and industry analysts offer  all sorts of explanations  as to why this is happening, from the pervasiveness of video games and screen-based entertainment, to the highly structured and programmed nature of childhood recreation in general. But the most obvious and fundamental reason fewer kids are riding bikes these days is sitting right in your driveway.. Read more
Bike lanes need physical protection from car traffic, study shows Drivers left bikes less room in the presence of parked cars and painted bike lanes.
There are plenty of good reasons that people should cycle more. People who exercise more are healthier and  can score higher on cognitive tests , for one thing. And replacing short car trips with journeys by bike (or on foot) is probably a good thing if we want to try to  deal with this whole climate change thing . But that will only work if people feel safe swapping their two-ton deathmobiles for a pair of pedals.  Read more here.
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world
In the 1960s, Dutch cities were increasingly in thrall to motorists, with the car seen as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths – and fierce activism – to turn Amsterdam into the cycling nirvana of today
Anyone who has ever tried to make their way through the centre of Amsterdam in a car knows it: the city is owned by cyclists. They hurry in swarms through the streets, unbothered by traffic rules, taking precedence whenever they want, rendering motorists powerless by their sheer numbers. Read more here .
A new bridge will connect bike trails in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s. How about DC too?
A new  trail bridge  over the Patuxent River will finally connect the Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County sections of the WB&A Trail. Construction is scheduled to start soon and will finish around 2021.
We’ve Blamed Traffic Deaths on Bicyclists Since 1880. What About Drivers?
There have been 18 cyclist fatalities in New York so far this year. Perhaps drivers should face more serious consequences. Read more here .
Minnesota nursing homes embrace Danish cycling idea that puts older adults on wheels
Outside the senior home, Sister Rosalind Gefre ditched her walker for a bicycle ride — without having to pedal at all. At 89, the nun can’t bike like she used to, but a new program is helping her and other older adults with limited mobility experience again the thrill of bicycling around St. Paul and Minneapolis. Read more here .

Yellow = stories about

E-Bikes 
Minnesota nursing homes embrace Danish cycling idea that puts older adults on wheels

August 16, 2019 - 9:36 PM
Outside the senior home, Sister Rosalind Gefre ditched her walker for a bicycle ride — without having to pedal at all.
At 89, the nun can’t bike like she used to, but a new program is helping her and other older adults with limited mobility experience again the thrill of bicycling around St. Paul and Minneapolis. Read more here .
E-bikes are now allowed in US national parks, for better or worse
There are concerns they could be unsafe and harmful to the parks.
The next time you visit a National Park in the US, you can likely bring your  e-bike  with you. The National Park Service has  expanded  the use of e-bikes to allow pedal assist models on the same roads and trails as conventional bicycles so long as they cut off assistance at 28MPH. R ead more .
How Do Fitness Levels of E-Bikers Compare to Those Who Ride Regular?
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE E-BIKES GIVE THE EASY WAY OUT. HOW DOES THAT REALLY AFFECT YOUR FITNESS?
E-bikes seems to get a  bad rap . Some claim the motor-assisted bike is giving you the easy way out. So are you selling your workout—and your fitness levels—short when you hop on one? Read more here .
With hipster stylings and live diagnostics, has Belgian firm Cowboy made e-bikes cool?
Picture an electric bike and you probably imagine a chunky step-through frame, a colossal battery strapped to the downtube, pannier racks and tires that wouldn't look out of place on a tractor. It's just not cool.
The super-Minimalist Cowboy (from a Belgian company of the same name) aims to change all that. It boasts road-style geometry, internal cabling, the most subtle of branding, a neat little removable power pack hidden on the seat tube and even a SIM built into the frame. Read more here.
Copenhagen has taken bicycle commuting to a whole new level
COPENHAGEN —  Soren Jensen sold his car six years ago and joined the rivers of rolling humanity who bicycle through Copenhagen every day. He quickly lost about 50 pounds on his hour-a-day bike commutes, while saving time and a small fortune.
“I had a Mercedes but it sat in the garage all the time because it was so much easier to get everywhere by bike,” said Jensen, a 51-year-old who works in a downtown investment bank. He got rid of the car, which was costing him about $500 a month, after moving from the suburbs to the city and finding that he didn’t need it anymore. Read more here .
Proposed e-bike rule a slippery slope
[E-Bikes being allowed on trails in the National Parks? Rut-Row CDP]
It’s being sold as an innocuous proposal to give a little more access to the elderly and disabled. But make no mistake: A Trump administration
plan to allow electric-assisted bicycles on national park and Bureau of Land Management trails where they are currently banned is a sea-change in land management policy with far-reaching implications. didn’t need it anymor e. Read more here.
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