An ongoing state and local effort to elongate the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail was successful in 2024, but still has a long way to go.
The work on the rail trail was part of 15 miles of new shared-use paths introduced last year, backed by the state Department of Transportation. Now half a mile deeper into Pittsfield, the trail runs from Merrill Road in Pittsfield to Lime Street in Adams. There’s a new access point on Merrill Road, completed in November, with a parking lot and a pedestrian signal.
The rail trail is now more than 14 miles long, but the state, and local partners, including municipalities, businesses and organizations such as the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, are anticipating a “25-mile, off-road trail network from Williamstown to Pittsfield, linking many population centers and attractions in the Berkshires,” as MassDOT put it in a news release this week.
Nick Russo of the BRPC named a variety of intended benefits of the region-wide effort, including encouraging environmentally sound commuting habits.
“I think it’ll be a healthy mix of both tourism and commuting,” Russo said Thursday. “The rail trail is seen as something that can improve air quality with zero emissions, travel by bicycle, and reduce congestion by changing trips over to the bike trail.”
As for the most recent development in Pittsfield: “Ideally it will get people from the rail trail into downtown Pittsfield, so they can either shop downtown, dine, or if you live in Pittsfield, you can easily get to the trail without having to drive,” Russo said. “The hope is to get a safer connection all the way into the city proper.”