Challenge
The Massachusetts Central Railroad traveled between Boston and Northampton serving residents and industry through the early 1900s. However, struggles with maintenance, negotiations about the transfer of ownership, and damage sustained during the Hurricane of 1938 all contributed to the decline of the railway corridor.
Now, that same corridor is the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT)— the backbone of an extensive network of trails. It represents a vision for what this historic rail corridor could become: a continuous shared-use path that connects communities across the Commonwealth, provides access to recreation and nature for residents and visitors, and creates new economic opportunities for communities along the corridor.
While there has been steady progress towards completing sections of the trail, the remaining sections include complex and potentially expensive sections to complete. Kittelson was approached by the non-profit that has been the leading advocate for the trail with a question: how can we communicate the value of completing the trail as a continuous path?
Solution
Kittelson partnered with Cambridge Econometrics to understand the full potential benefits of a fully continuous trail. Together they drew from its work developing the Impacts of Shared Use Paths study for MassTrails, estimating trail use, and completing economic studies to understand the full benefits of connecting the existing trails across the state and attracting multi-day visitors. The report is organized around a set of analyses that explore how completion of the trail would reach new users and expand options for existing users. They include:
- Trail Access: describes the potential for the trail to connect residents and communities and creates a larger trail network.
- Survey Responses: reports findings about current trail users on how they use the trail today and how completing the trail would change their use.
- Estimated Use: applies data-driven approach to calculate changes in the number and type of trail users with the completion of the MCRT.
- Economic impacts: describes the estimated economic impact from completing the MCRT due to spending by new users.
- Health benefits: provides estimates for increases in physical activity and related health cost savings from completing the MCRT.
The Outcome
A Historic Railroad Turns Into a 100+ Mile-Long Rail Trail in MA
The envisioned MCRT is a 100+ mile route between Boston and Northampton. The planned route would intersect with 20 existing and proposed trails to create a trail network less than 10 miles from 64% of Massachusetts residents. The completed trail would provide residents easy access to much of the state on safe, comfortable, accessible paths. Since the completion of the report multiple sections of the trail have been completed or funded including higher cost efforts to repair historic rail bridges. Follow the trails progress here.
