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Date: 7/13/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – On June 28, the town of Southampton was awarded $300,000 toward Greenway design, engineering, and permitting for a shared-use accessible bike and pedestrian path.
The money, funded by the Massachusetts Trails program, is the next step in the town’s steady pursuit of a new Greenway rail trail on a 3.5-mile length of an inactive railroad corridor in Southampton that is being acquired through a “negotiated railbanking arrangement.”
The proposed rail trail will run from Coleman Road to College Highway (Route 10). The $300,000 will enable the town to complete the design process for a missing portion of the New Haven-Northampton Canal Greenway and will improve the regional trail network linking Easthampton’s Manhan Trail and Westfield’s Columbia Greenway. When the unused railroad line is converted to a shared-use, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant trail, it will provide recreational opportunities for surrounding communities and will be a critical piece in Southampton’s network of open spaces and natural resources.
“Southampton has been at it for a long time with the initial 3.5-mile corridor piece that does not complete the gap, but it gets us a good way there,” said Aaron Tauscher, the chair of the town’s Greenway Committee. “It’s kind of an interesting gap in the system here … there’s a lot of interest for users along the coast, but ultimately the users in the immediate area want to see the gap filled and the connections made.”
Background
The rail line was completed in 1863, connecting New Haven to Northampton and other cities in New England. The Pioneer Valley Railroad Company (PVRC) has not used the line since the early 1990s. Southampton has pursued this Greenway trail project for well over a decade and has completed various studies, property research, and public outreach including a feasibility study in 2011, public outreach meetings at various stages, a review of bridges and culverts along the proposed trail in 2017, and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in 2018.
Residents voiced their support for an ADA compliant trail to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchair users during the Open Space and Recreation Plan Update process that began in 2019. This support was further solidified when the results of a Master Plan Community Engagement Survey conducted with town residents in the summer of 2020 found that completing the bike path ranked highest among eight development strategies for the town. Of those responding, 74 percent indicated either support or strong support for the bike path.
The current steps
According to Tauscher, there has been an increase in interest for more recreational assets, partly exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and partly due to the expansion of trail networks in Easthampton, Northampton and Westfield. Additionally, Tauscher said Southampton residents recently solidified their support for the Greenway by accepting a debt exclusion, but the chair added that the town does not need to rely on resident tax dollars as of right now because there has been a sufficient amount of grant funds, so far.
“There’s a lot of momentum, and a small push to get it completed, so we’re doing what we can with what we have to close the gap,” Tauscher added.
According to Mark Kassis, a member of the Greenway Committee, there is currently an effort to get a complete corridor from Northampton to New Haven, as well as east-west from Northampton to Boston, thus completing a long pathway loop. The 3.5-mile loop is one of the few gaps where a pathway is needed.
Tauscher also told Reminder Publishing that Southampton has secured funds to assist with the acquisition process, which is needed so the town can access the land for future design and construction. According to Chris Fowles, the chair of the Select Board and chair of the Ad Hoc Grant Committee, the acquisition phase should be completed by the end of November. “With [the corridor] in hand, that allows us to move forward with some ideas on design and getting official work done on that,” she told Reminder Publishing.
Once the town completes the design and engineering process, Tauscher said that the state has allocated $6 million for construction of the trail through the Transportation Improvement Plan. According to Fowles, these funds could be available by 2025.
“In addition to understanding the details of the structural engineering, planning will also include seeking input from the community and making sure it’s meeting the needs of the community members,” said Kassis.
Hauscher echoed Kassis’ sentiments about gaining community support as crucial immediate steps to make sure this shared-use path is built as soon as possible. “We’re going to reach out to town residents with more information as we gather it to make this a positive town asset to as many town residents as possible,” said Hauscher. “We’re really excited about this, and we hope to gain support for anyone who may also excited about [the path], as well.”
The town will also pursue more grant funding opportunities as the planning and design process advances.