Proposed Western Mass. Bike Paths and Trails

Berkshire Bike Path

The Berkshire Bike Path Council is working on a countywide effort to create a path from Vermont to Connecticut. 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.

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.

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 while, 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 proponents have worked hard and are raising private money to proceed.