[Massachusetts Bikeways]
[Boston
(Future)]
[Metro Boston
(Future)]
[Northeastern Mass.
(Future)]
[Southeastern Mass.
(Future)]
[Central Mass.
(Future)]
[Western Mass.
(Future)]
[Cape Cod and the Islands]
[Bikeways Elsewhere]
[Display with frames]
-
Ashuwillticook River Trail
[DCR map]
[map]
- Running 10.5 miles from Lanesborough to Adams along Rt. 8 and
the Hoosic river, this path is the anchor for a north-south route
from Vermont to Connecticut. The first 5 miles north of Pittsfield
opened August 27, 2001, and construction of the rest is hoped to be complete
by the fall of 2002 or spring of 2003. Moves are afoot to extend the path
in both directions.
There is more information on the
Berkshire Bike Path web site.
- Keystone Arch Bridge Trail
- The 2 mile long KAB trail's signature features are massive granite
arch railroad bridges built in 1839 with no mortar.
Bikes are OK, though a popular way to travel is to hike in, and
float on tubes back to the start. The trail is maintained by a volunteer
group, Friends of the Keystone Arches, PO Box 276, Huntington, MA 01050.
A trail map is available for a small donation.
- Northampton Bike Path
[map]
- This 1.75-mile paved path is on a section of the same abandoned
right-of-way as the Norwottuck Trail, but there
is an intervening piece of active rail between them. The right-of-way
continues westward, where there is an effort being made to extend it
through Williamsburg, Mass.
-
Norwottuck Trail
[DCR Map]
- This nine-mile-long bikepath connects Amherst and Northampton,
through Hadley, parallelling MA Rt. 9 and avoiding that heavily-travelled road.
With its own bridge over the Connecticut River, it is the
western end of the abandoned Central Mass. railway line, the
eastern end of which is being considered for a Waltham to Hudson
trail. A group in Belchertown is working on extending this path
eastward, and there is a possible connection to a Connecticut
Valley bikeway to New Haven, CT, on the Northampton end.
A connection to the U.Mass. campus is also being considered.
The state also has
WWW information
available.
Pete's Drive-In in Hadley
has a Web page touting its trail access.
There is an
on-line history
of the local Native Americans after whom the trail was named. Check out this
survey of abutters in Hadley.
- This network of bike paths, lanes and routes connects the towns of
the Connecticut River valley in northern Massachusetts.
-
Berkshire Bike Path
- The Berkshire Bike Path Council is working on a county-wide effort to
create a path from Vermont to Connecticut. In 1999, they are working
on building community support in Pittsfield and working with the Ashwillticook
path and the town of Adams.
- Franklin County Bikeway
[map]
- The Franklin County Commission is reviving and updating a 1985
plan for a bikeway through six Franklin County communities: Deerfield,
Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Montague (the
villages of Turners Falls and Montague City), and Northfield. Its
22.7 mile length primarily consists of a loop through Greenfield,
Deerfield, Montague, and Gill, with a spur south to Historic Deerfield,
and a spur north to the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental
Center. Including a combination of bike paths, bike lanes and bike
routes/shared roadways, it provides access to employment, educational,
cultural and recreational sites, and the scenic banks of the
Connecticut, Deerfield, Fall and Green rivers.
- Greenfield Bikeway
- The Greenfield Bikeway Committee is creating a system of shared-road
bike routes and off-road bike paths to link "schools, businesses, residences,
and other points of interest around town."
-
Highland Division Rail-Trail
[map]
- In 2000, the City of Springfield received a grant to design
the trail and hired Greenman-Pederson to prepare the engineering and
design of this 1.7-mile project from Watershops Pond near Springfield College
to the East Longmeadow line. The abandoned line runs a total of 12.5 miles to
Hazardville, CT.
-
Manhan Rail Trail
- This 4.2 mile multi-use recreational path stretches from South Street
in Easthampton, MA to Mt. Tom Junction at the Route 5 CT River boat launch,
with a connecting on-road bike lane to downtown Northampton.
The trail will eventually connect with the
Norwottuck Trail to Amherst and the
Northampton Bike Path to
Williamsburg.
-
Mass. Central Rail Trail
- This right-of way runs from Williamsburg in the west to Cambridge in
the east, much of the way across the state, including the existing
Northampton and
Norwottuck bikepaths. Eastward extension
has been stopped by opponents in Belchertown. Westward, it has
been delayed by opponents in Williamsburg.
- Pittsfield Bike Path
- A movement to build bike paths across the City of Pittsfield is growing.
- UMass Connector
- This 2-mile connection between the
Norwottuck Trail and the Amherst campus of the
University of Massachusetts is the highest priority bicycle project in the
Pioneer Valley, but the Massachusetts Highway Department has delayed it so
long that it is losing its ISTEA funding. On September 21, 1999, it was
reported (
1,
2) that
the MHD would find the money to build it even if the ISTEA deadline passed,
and that it would go out to bid by November 1, 1999.
-
Southwick Rail/Trail
[map]
- This 6 mile long rail trail would extend the
Farmington Valley Greenway
into Massachusetts. See
this map
for other proposed projects in the area.
-
Williamsburg Bike Path
[pictures]
- The path will connect to the
Northampton Bike Path at
Look Park and follow a rail right-of-way along the Mill River to
the Haydenville Line. There the Williamsburg section begins. The trail will
follow the Mill River until it reaches Route 9. A Bike Path bridge will
span Route 9, allowing the trail to continue along the railroad bed as it
crosses High Street and parallels Route 9 about 100 yards from the street.
The railroad bed ends at Kellogg Road. There the trail will go along the
edge of Route 9 for a whicle, then curve behind some shops and hug
the riverbank until it ends in Williamsburg center. At some time in the
future the Mill River bridge may be rebuilt, allowing foot and bike
traffic to cross the river at that point. There has been a lot of opposition
to this trail, but the proponets have worked hard and are raising private
money to proceed.
Last updated September 1, 2006 by
Doug Mink
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