|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|||
 |
Home : Regional Planning : North Adams to Williamstown Bike Ped Trail
North Adams to Williamstown Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail We are pleased to report that the BRPC, in partnership with the City of North Adams and the Town of Williamstown, has received grant funds to initiate work on a potential bicycle / pedestrian trail that will travel between the two downtown areas. Project Background Residents of Williamstown and North Adams have voiced their desire for a bicycle/pedestrian (bike/ped) trail that would serve as both a recreational asset and an alternate mode of transportation. This desire has been stated in the Williamstown Master Plan, the Williamstown Cities for Climate Protection report, and the North Adams Open Space and Recreation Plan. According to respondents of a 2001 survey, Williamstown residents cited the need for biking and running paths as one of the greatest needs for the town. The rugged terrain of the parks and the private trail systems in North Berkshire are havens for hikers and mountain bikers. The region is host to a few long-range trail systems, including the Taconic Crest Trail, the Mahican-Mohawk Trail and the renowned Appalachian National Scenic Trail. However, there are no established trails in gentler terrain to serve the less hardy bicyclists or pedestrians (e.g. families with children, the elderly or disabled) or to serve as alternative transportation routes. A bicycle/pedestrian trail connecting the two downtown centers of Williamstown and North Adams could provide in-town recreation as well as a commuter route that could serve the greater than 15% of local residents that do not have access to a motorized vehicle. North Adams and Williamstown are both college towns, respectively hosting the Mass. College of Liberal Arts and Williams College. A bike/ped trail connecting the two downtown areas would be approximately 5.25 miles in length. As envisioned, a bike/ped trail will hopefully one day serve as a northern extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and, if the extensions were fully realized, this would offer local residents over 20 miles of dedicated trail. This project is being considered Phase I of a multi-phased, multi-year project to develop the trail. This Phase I project will consist of three main components: 1) conduct a detailed feasibility study to determine the preferred and alternative routes, 2) open dialogs with landowners and abutters along the trail routes, and 3) develop preliminary designs and cost estimates for the routes we identify in the feasibility study. The BRPC, partnering with community leaders and residents, will take the lead in conducting the feasibility study and meeting with the public. A consultant, experienced in designing, permitting and constructing bike/ped trails, will be hired to create the conceptual designs and cost estimates. To help us conduct the work, a Mohawk Bike/Ped Advisory Committee has been formed. This committee is made up of local officials, organizations, businesses and interested citizens. A list of participating organizations - our community partners - is below. The Mohawk Bike/Ped Technical Advisory Subcommittee is conducting the technical analysis to determine the most feasible route for the trail. These folks are investigating potential routes by walking roadways, pathways, railways, and bushwhacking through undeveloped forest and brush to find the most reasonable route that bike/ped trail could take. Subcommittee members are traveling on lands open to the public, avoiding private property. The Mohawk Bike/Ped Community Outreach Subcommittee will be working with community leaders, landowners and residents to identify the needs, desires and concerns of the two communities. The activities of these two subcommittees can be found on our website by clicking here. Public Benefits of a Bike/Ped Trail: Bicycle and pedestrian trails improve the quality of life for residents in our community. Some of the benefits for North County residents include:
The idea of connecting North Adams and Williamstown with a bicycle trail is not new, in fact it's an old idea whose time has been long in coming. Here is an excerpt from The Transcript, July 18, 1896:
Public Involvement: The Mohawk Bike/Ped Trail will primarily benefit the residents of North Adams and Williamstown, and it is important that we hear your ideas, concerns and desires. All throughout the project we will be holding public forums, talking to neighborhood groups, attending public events and speaking with individual landowners. We talked to several local residents at the Step It Up Rally on April 14th, the Blackington Neighborhood meeting on April 23rd, and Riverfest on May 26th. We are hoping to be present at the Fall Foliage Parade in September 2007. We also held our first public forum on June 7th, 2007 at Congregation Beth Israel. This well-attended forum provided subcommittee members with a wealth of ideas and suggestions about what type of bike/ped trail should be constructed, where it could be located, and who it should serve. For example, most residents who spoke at the forum would prefer the trail to be recreational in nature (like the Ashuwillticook or the Cape Cod trails), most preferred it to travel through undeveloped areas, and all agreed that it should be accessible to people of all abilities (usable to people with disabilities, the elderly, young families). The results of a survey taken during the meeting can be found by clicking here. Public forums are advertised in the media. All the meetings of the Mohawk Bike/Ped Advisory Committee and its subcommittees are open to the public - in fact we welcome public attendance and participation. The meetings are posted in North Adams City Hall and Williamstown Town Hall, and they are posted here on the BRPC website. Those residents that we have met and who have indicated an interested in keeping abreast of the project are sent an email about upcoming meetings. If you would like to join our email list, please contact Lauren Gaherty at lgaherty@berkshireplanning.org. Our Partners: Several local organizations, institutions and businesses are participating in the Mohawk Bike/Ped Trail project, serving on our subcommittees and providing us with invaluable insights. Their participation is greatly appreciated.
Feasibility Study: Locating a bike/ped trail that will connect the two downtown areas will be a challenge. Locating the existing portions of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail was relatively simple, as the slope was gentle and the route traveled along an abandoned railroad bed. Locating a similar trail in the heavily-developed Hoosic River valley will involve approximately 5.25 miles of complex terrain. Logistically the route will need to minimize conflicts with the river, wetlands, a heavily-traveled commercial Route 2 and the active Pan Am Rail tracks. The trail will also have to minimize impacts to rare species habitat, which covers extensive areas within the area of study. To be cost effective the route will also need to minimize the amount of land or easements that have to be acquired for the right-of-way. The boundaries of the study area are State Street / Marshall Street in North Adams to the east and Field Park in Williamstown to the west; the corridor between these two boundaries is an approximate one-mile wide span that generally follows Route 2 (Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway) and the Hoosic River (visit a map of the study area by clicking here). The BRPC is acting as the technical consultant on the project, working with a Technical Advisory Subcommittee, composed of hikers, bicyclists and interested residents. Although the recommended routes of previous studies were consulted, the subcommittee decided that it would not have any preconceived route when it began its investigation. It feels that all options within the study area should be considered, field verified and analyzed as potential routes. In overview, the field investigations consist of the following steps:
Funding: This Phase I project is being primarily funded by federal highway funds through the National Scenic Byway Program. The funds awarded to the project are $110,000, 80% of which is federal funds ($88,000) and 20% of which is state funds ($22,000). The Fund for Williamstown, a private foundation with a focus on the Williamstown community, has generously awarded $3,000 to the project. In addition, the Town of Williamstown and the City of North Adams are each committing $5,000 in matching funds to the project. Grant funds for future phases could come from a combination of sources, such as federal and state transportation funds, the DCR's Greenways and Trails Grant Program, the Self-help Grant Program and local private grant sources. Project Timeline: This Phase I project will be conducted through September 2008. The first 12 months will focus on conducting the feasibility study and reaching out to the public to determine their needs and desires for a bike/ped trail. The feasibility of the routes will depend on terrain, environmental constraints, ability to secure rights-of-way and, most importantly, local residents' preferences. Public participation and input will be important throughout this project, but it will be critical in the first year to help us determine the preferred and alternative routes. The remaining months will involve the design portion of this project. Home Site Map Publications Contact Job Opportunities at BRPC Directions to BRPC Municipal eCenter BRPC Archive |
