Dedham Heritage Rail Trail 2018 Speaker Series Announced

DEDHAM, MA -- The Friends of the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail has announced that it will be hosting three more information sessions in the run up to the vote on the approval of the next phase of the proposed rail trail at Town Meeting this May. Each session will feature an update on the current status of Dedham’s proposed enhancement of its rail trail, as well as spotlighting guests from communities that already have, or are in the process of creating, rail trails.

The first event for 2018 is scheduled for Wednesday, January 24th and will be hosted at the Endicott Estate at 656 East Street from 7:30 to 8:45 pm. Two guests from Topsfield, Mass. will speak about their trail, now known as the Topsfield Linear Common (TLC). Selectmen-appointed Chairman of the Topsfield Rail Trail Committee Joe Gellar, and Kim Philpot, an abutter to that trail who was originally opposed to the trail before it was built, will share their insights. Free beverages and treats will be served.

The next event scheduled for March (date TBD) will feature Town of Swampscott's Peter Kane, Director of Community Development, where the town recently voted to allocate $850K to design and secure their old rail corridor to be converted to a greenway. The Swampscott Rail Trail will be approximately two miles in length, traverse tight neighborhoods, and connect two schools along the way.

On April 11th, the Friends will welcome Jerry Klima from the Coastal Trails Coalition (CTC), an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose mission is to assist in the development, promotion, and stewardship of the Coastal Trails Network - a 30-mile public system of bicycle and pedestrian trails connecting the Massachusetts communities of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.

In 2017, in response to the growing body of evidence around the benefits of these trails, Governor Charlie Baker pledged to increase the investment in expanding greenway development throughout the Commonwealth. As Governor Baker notes, these trails “provide countless benefits to those who use them and the communities that support them, whether it’s access to open space and waterfronts, reduced congestion and carbon emissions, or opportunities to enjoy healthy, recreational activity.” Baker adds, “We are committed to working with our municipal partners to make the investments that can maintain and expand these vibrant assets for generations to come across the Commonwealth.”

There are now 82 rail trails/greenways in Massachusetts varying in length from the 400 ft. Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts to the Mass Central Rail Trail at 31.9 miles. Fall 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of one of the most famous rail trails – the Minuteman Bike Path. It took about two decades to make its way past tremendous opposition, and now, over two decades later, has proved to be one of the most valued gems of the towns it traverses, as well as the Commonwealth. Revival, The Story of the Minuteman Bikeway, is a short film that details the process.

The Friends of the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail is a dedicated group of residents working to realize the vision set forth in the Town of Dedham Master Plan “that the abandoned rail between the Readville Station in Boston to just before Providence Highway be developed into a bike path. Such a path will create connections between many of Dedham’s green spaces and provide access to the commuter rail at Readville Station.” To that end, the group has worked over the past several years to advance efforts to convert the 1.5 mile abandoned railway into a multi-use, fully accessible path incorporating and connecting public art, community gardens, and Dedham’s rich history with adjacent neighborhoods and schools. For details on the upcoming speaker events, or to join the group and learn more, explore DHRT on Facebook www.facebook.com/DedhamRailTrail/ and www.DedhamRailTrail.org.

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