A Legal battle has brought a Cambridge bike and pedestrian path renovation to a halt — for now

By Spencer Buell, Boston Globe Staff, Updated August 14, 2025.

CAMBRIDGE — The curving, tree-lined pathway in the Linear Park that runs between Alewife station and the Somerville border has been a peaceful respite in North Cambridge for 40 years.

It’s also getting old, its pavement buckling, sometimes giving way to potholes and puddles, or icy patches in the winter. Built before most of the area’s new bike infrastructure, its tight corners and narrow sections make for slow, bumpy going. Read more.

Here's the update you all have been waiting for. Somerville's Cat Mayor of the Bike Path contest.

Here's an update on the Cat mayoral race in Somerville.

And another take on it.

Here's an important story about a new bike-ped bridge over the Charles River into Boston.

MassDOT Starts Planning New Car-Free Crossing of the Charles River Next to Museum of Science By Christian MilNeil August 15, 2025 StreetsBlogMass.

MassDOT officials say that they're in the "early development stage" for planning a new car-free crossing of the Charles River from Leverett Circle in Boston to Land Boulevard in Cambridge, based on a conceptual proposal from the Museum of Science." Read more.

An iron sculpture com-missioned by the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has been completed.  By Len Simon, Sudbury Weekly E-Newspaper July 25, 2025

The sculpture was fabricated by Walter Clark at the Stonybrook Fine Arts workshop in Jamaica Plain. 

It has been gifted to the Town of Sudbury as an artistic sculpture in iron to be installed along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Read more.

A CNN video team came to Northampton earlier this summer and was amazed by all that is here. And then they discovered the Mass Central Rail Trail. "Tying it all together is the Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail, a 10-mile bike and pedestrian path that wends its way through downtown, and then over the Connecticut River amid the region’s spectacular scenery on a lattice-truss bridge to neighboring towns. . . "

This independent haven is a ‘tangibly different’ college town. Northampton is No. 8 thanks to its lively downtown, diversity, local flavors and independent spirit.

Story by Jeanne Bonner, CNN | Video by David Yim and Deborah Brunswick

Northampton, Massachusetts

A town’s motto can reveal exactly what’s charming about the place, and it’s also shorthand for its unique quirks.

Northampton, in western Massachusetts, isn’t the only place in the Bay State to grab a cup of Joe or promote independent thinking. But it is the only town there with the unofficial motto: “Where the coffee is strong and so are the women.” Read more and be prepared to be amazed.

Checking out the Mass Central Rail Trail from Sudbury to Hudson

By Dan Kennedy, Media Nation, July 27, 2025

A few weeks ago and then again on Saturday, I headed toward the southern end of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to explore the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail.

Those working on the Mass Central hope to build a 104-mile bike path connecting Boston and Northampton. They’ve got a long way to go. Read more.

Mass DOT recently broke ground on the Lawrence Manchester Rail Trail Corridor improvement project that seeks to turn part of an abandoned rail line into an approximately 1.5-mile shared use path.

The project – which should be completed by the summer of 2028 – also includes rehabilitation of existing LMRC bridges over the Merrimack River and the South Canal, construction of a new bridge over Manchester Street for the shared-use path, and replacement of the Lowell Street bridge with a precast concrete culvert structure. Read more. (Hello friends in the Gateway City of Spfld. When are you going to resurrect the HDRT? Psst. Rebrand it to be Cross-Town Greenway. It'll be a winnah then. Good ideas never die. CDP)

Since 2019, MassTrails has been championing a growing network of over 1,000 miles of trails and paths across Massachusetts

Here's a new initiative that highlights the growing inventory of great trails.

These ten featured rides showcase the state’s signature trail infrastructure—connecting communities, landscapes, and experiences.

Whether you're looking for a quick local ride or planning a weekend adventure across the Commonwealth, there’s a trail waiting for you. Click here to learn about MassTrails and its partners.

MassTrails is an inter-agency initiative of the Commonwealth led by the Governor’s Office.

After six years of delays (for reasons out of the City's control), the Concord, NH City Council voted to purchase of 5.75 miles of abandoned railroad corridor. Allowing for due diligence, the final purchase should take place in about six months. From the Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail. Read more. (Finally. NH is buying the dead RR in Concord, NH from CSX. Attention MassDOT, this means that CSX has digested their acquisition of the land assets of the B&M RR. Yes Martha. That is an actual 'thing. When CSX buys a smaller RR, they take a couple of years to figure out what they bought. Two years ago this summer, they bought Pam Am Rwy--ex B&M RR and here we are are now, 2 years in and they are now ready to sell.

This is now the time for MassDOT to step up and buy all the stray/orphan pieces remaining in Mass. Probably 10 cities and towns. Please don't delay. As the saying goes, the time to strike is when the iron is hot. CDP)

Two people were seriously injured Thursday evening in separate trail bike crashes on the Sugar River Rail Trail in Newport, New Hampshire Fish and Game officials said.

The crashes occurred about 8:56 p.m. and involved members of the same riding party, according to the department. Both riders sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Read more.

Yes, it is sad to read about the crash, but here is something that this trail is notable for. There are two covered railroad bridges on this trail. Only 5 remain in all of New England. Two are here on this trail. Here's more info on that.