Rail Trail e-Newsletter March 2026 #104

Hi ,

Well we've made it through another winter. Daylight Saving is on and each day gets longer. We've got a great group of stories again. Top of mind. . .In NH, the DOT threw in the towel on the Tunnel-debacle. Hmmm that kinda rhymes. Tunnel-debacle. I think NHDOT will never forget their controversial, forced entry into the 21st century.

Also of note is a good 2nd stage story. I'm sure some of you are saying, what in the heck is a "2nd stage story?" Well here you go. . .

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is scoffed at. Second, it is vehemently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” This was discovered by Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher back about 170+ years ago. All 'new-fangled-ideas' go through the 3 stages of truth. Including that new-fangled idea of a rail trail.

Most rail trails in southern New England have had their 2nd stage bouts of drama. But one of the last big ones was in Sudbury on the MCRT corridor. This was a case that went all the way to the SJC and the antis lost. Lots of money and quiet background arm twisting was involved in that effort to kill off that silly rail trail. Ironically, there is a story in here that shows a major benefit to Sudbury and the trail isn't event officially open yet.

But here in this issue of the e-Newsletter, there is a genuine 2nd stage essay by a local newspaper columnist in the Merrimack Valley. This is where homeless w drug additions are running amuck on the dead RR corridor slated to become renovated into a linear park. This is in Lawrence, one of the Gateway Cities. A place where reinvestment has always been slower than most other places.

We'll see how that plays out. Rest assured every day in my RE realm, I meet people who say to me; who could be opposed to that trail. They are in the 3rd stage.

best,

Craig Della Penna, Principal

Northeast Greenway Solutions

62 Chestnut St. Northampton, MA 01062

413 575 2277 CraigDP413@gmail.com

In the GREEN area, we have news about the

Mass Central Rail Trail

and perhaps some of the 18 other trails that directly connect to it.

LOCAL NBC TV AFFILIATE DID A PROGRAM

FEATURING THE REPORT BY CAMBRIDGE ECONOMETRICS ABOUT THE NEW HAVEN & NORTHAMPTON CANAL GREENWAY

CORRECT LINK NOW

The report was about the economic impact of a completed trail from New Haven to Northampton.

Link here to the 1/2 hour TV program.

Link here to the report.

UPCOMING LECTURE

MARCH 18, 6:00 P.M. SOMERVILLE, MA

Rogue Rail Trail Snow-Plower Has A Blast

Following Winter Storm

By Kevin Lahaise Sudbury Weekly 2-11-26

The people of Sudbury are not responsible for plowing the sidewalks outside their homes — that’s a task handled by the Department of Public Works these days. But such conveniences deprive hearty New Englanders of the opportunity to perform snow removal at municipal scale… all by themselves. Read more.

New owners aim to revitalize "Town Center"

by June Valliere 2-6-26 Wayland Post

(This story is about a somewhat "long-in-the-tooth" or "under performing" commercial development in Wayland that is parallel to Rt 20 and has the MCRT on the backside. The new developers are going to revamp it to take advantage of the travelers on the MCRT. CDP) Read more.

Another great story about MCRT and its influence in the

Ever Evolving Experience in Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776

The Eversource Undergrounded Transmission Line

Helped Avert a Fiscal Year 2027 Tax Override

Another great story by Kevin Lahaise of the Sudbury Weekly Newspaper about the transformation underway there. Sudbury, the place with the coolest zip code in the U.S., was also the scene of the last great rail trail war in Massachusetts. Here's the story of the big, unexpected benefit to the town. Here's the Amicus Brief about the case that helped the SJC rule in favor of the Eversource project which in turn facilitated and accelerated DCR's construction of this section of the MCRT. Ribbon cutting for this section of the MCRT will be soon now.

Welcome to the Roads Less Travelled Podcast!

Love rail trails, bike tourism, or greenway real estate? Have you ever dreamt of operating a bed & breakfast along a scenic trail? Or seen how trails can revive small towns? We are going to cover it all.

Join host Craig Della Penna a Realtor, trail advocate, and storyteller, for quick, insightful conversations where real estate meets sustainability and adventure.

Have a story to share? Book your spot and be part of the Roads Less Travelled. LINK here to the booking page for on-boarding.

New guests above:
Dan Fitzpatrick, Founder of the Belchertown Land Trust. The first land trust in the U.S., set up to reassemble former RR corridor.
Cynthia Bourcier, an inspirational, tireless advocate and a part of the Friends group pulling pulling together the MCRT in Ware.
Pete Sutton, Bike-Ped Coordinator at MassDOT, helping buildout the densest network of dead steam RR corridor in North America.
Dr. Brian Sutton, a veteran of a cross-country journey on the Great American Rail Trail.

Tom Adams, Television Videographer/Producer and bike path fan doing extraordinary things.

Steven Hawk, for 20+ years now, a wheel-chair bound quadriplegic who is doing fearless and compelling advocacy in Ware--getting the MCRT built.

Both Steven and Cynthia epitomize the phrase; Making Lemonade from Lemons.

LINK HERE to my YOUTUBE Channel where the videos of the podcasts and other nuggets are housed. But you can find the audio versions of the Roads Less Travelled with Craig Della Penna wherever you get your Podcasts.

AND IN THE WHITE AREA,

OTHER NEWS AROUND THE REGION

First up, a couple of

Yin and Yang stories from EMass.
A "2nd stage"--glass half-empty story,
and a "3rd stage"--glass half full one.

Here's the 2nd Stage story by a columnist in The Valley Patriot, a newspaper in the Merrimack Valley

Last month, the state legislature approved giving Lawrence another $1.5M for … get this … improvements to the “rail trail”.

Your local and state officials have been spending millions of your tax dollars every year to create pretty walking areas along dead rail road lines. They stretch all over the Merrimack Valley.

After millions are spent, these areas are then taken over by homeless addicts who set up tents, create piles of garbage, and shoot heroin every single day, hidden away from the general public. Read more.

And here is the 3rd stage story about people making sure their trail system makes better connections to where people want and need to go.

The highly anticipated commuter rail-to-trail connection in Natick Center opened Feb. 6, paving the way for commuters, runners, and walkers alike to access the larger Cochituate Rail Trail.

The trail, now 3.7 miles long, runs from Framingham’s Saxonville neighborhood to the outbound platform of the Natick Center MBTA Station.

“This is something that will benefit thousands of people,” said Josh Ostroff, former Natick Select Board member and president of the board of the Friends of Natick Trails. “We know that it is important for better and safer mobility, and easier connections, and particularly for people with disabilities.”

Here's a couple of stories about the
New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway www.NHNCG.org

Here's a great story about one of the more interesting highlights on the NHNCG. The border between Mass and CT. Longest developing interstate trail in the northeast. LINK HERE

And below here is a picture showing Bruce Donald, of the East Coast Greenway, on the right, at a defacto-'ribbon-less' cutting when the CT DOT crew was doing final details at the border--years ago. Bruce, can you tell me the names of the other folks there?

Rounding out the top three (Public Spaces) for Connecticut is Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in New Haven. “When people talk about ‘location, location, location,’ they are rarely referring to the granite countertops – they are talking about the feeling a neighborhood gives them”, says a spokesperson from Calgary Homes. “Our research shows that the most influential public spaces aren’t flashy destinations but the everyday places that quietly support a good life. Buyers want to live near spaces they will actually use, not just admire.” Read more.

A great, short and scenic video about a place you might have heard about--the South Coast of Massachusetts. They too have been working on their network for over 30 years. In fact the 1st rail trail in Mass built out using federal transportation dollars for these purposes was in Fairhaven on this network. That opened in April of 1999. See the video. Here's the URL to the overall project and the journey thus far. https://southcoastbikeway.com

Massachusetts Micromobility Commission Recommends Improved Classification, Regulation of Motorbikes and Scooters

by Christian MilNeil, StreetsBlog Mass 2-27-26. Among other recommendations, the commission supports expanding bikeshare systems and other micromobility options as a safer, less expensive, and more efficient alternative to driving. Read more.

And here is info about

a new initiative

AND IN THE ORANGE AREA;

Interesting, "HIGH ALTITUDE" Stories From Around the Country and Sometimes Beyond.

Interesting survey from both Canada and the U.S. that shows houses near trails are ranked high as something attractive to have in the neighbohood. Link here.

When I was 7 years old, I rode my bike beyond the end of the block for the first time to a shopping center a few streets away. Despite the short distance, it felt like a grand adventure. Read more.

The ROI on Parks, Trails and Other Green Infrastructure Is Getting Much Clearer

You can feel it in your bones that green spaces are fundamentally good for you. Now, making the financial case is becoming much easier.

On Common Ground 11-12-25 Smart Growth By: G.M. Filisko Read the story.

(On Common Ground is the Smart Growth magazine put out twice a year by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) It mentions my RE practice and the growing knowledge that these projects are an important economic development tool for communities. CDP)

And now, time to

buckle your seatbelt.

The Congress for New Urbanism--a nationally known advocacy organization that is a leader in making cities better and better-loved has been showing how Northwest Arkansas is developing hundreds of miles of walking and biking trails to interconnect and grow the cities in the region. To make the area more attractive to young families. OMG

There is an ongoing effort led by the Walton Family Foundation to fund this initiative. Yes, this the foundation affiliated with Walmart.

Check out this link. You are going to be stunned.

THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Do you or a friend have a surplus house somewhere in Mass? I know that sounds implausible, but I do get a couple of listings a year in situations like this.

I will make these oddities more impactful. Bring me in as your listing agent and I will market the property. When it sells, I will turn over my share of the sale commission to the Mass Central Rail Trail project.

Contact me at: CraigDP413@gmail.com or 413-575-2277.

Craig Della Penna, CRS, GRI, Green, REALTOR, Associate Broker Trailside Team, The Murphys Realtors. 76 North Elm St Northampton, MA 01060

NorthamptonRealtor.com/innovator

If you are getting this e-newsletter, you or a friend are likely to be a member of a Friends group affiliated with a rail trail somewhere in the northeast.

Kathy and I would love to offer up a creative fundraiser. We'll make a two-night stay available for two couples at our award-wining bed & breakfast--Sugar Maple Trailside Inn. This will include a guided tour by me, or either a walking tour or a biking tour of the rail trail network here.

We touch-on not only all the RR and industrial history, of course, but also the political history of how each section got built. I'll curl your hair.

This tour will include lunch at a restaurant near the rail trail.

This donation should be a part of an overall fundraiser event for your local trail project. Link here to more info. Click on the image above for a more readable version.