Trails Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is for the Bruce Freeman Trail, in Massachusetts. The following information may help to guide our thinking about trails in Springfield.
Source: Extracted from Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
What is the economic impact of the trail?
Retail businesses near the rail trail should benefit slightly because of increased traffic. Property values are anticipated to go up because of the existence of the trail. Note that according to a 2000 National Association of Home Builders Survey of what active adults and older seniors want in their communities, walking and jogging trails ranked #1.
Do rail trails violate the privacy of abutters?
This is a common fear before a trail is built, but after a trail is built most abutters are happy to live near it. Several large studies of rail trails have revealed that neighbors become the most frequent users of the trails.
How do I request privacy and security screening?
Interviews with abutters are held early in the design process to solicit their concerns. Shrubbery and fencing are then added to the design requirements as needed to address those concerns.
Will motorized vehicles, especially motorcycles and snowmobiles be allowed on the trail?
The only motorized vehicles allowed on the trail would be emergency vehicles, maintenance vehicles and motorized wheel chairs. Other motorized vehicles definitely will not be allowed. Anyone caught would be subject to a fine. The experience on other rail trails has been that trail users and trail neighbors have a keen interest in keeping motorized vehicles off the trails. The few incidents that have occurred have been immediately reported and dealt with. Bollards at the intersection of the trail with roads will also provide a physical deterrent to motorized vehicles on the trail.
How about noise from trail users?
About the only noise from the trail will be the voices of those using the trail. Screening shrubbery may help suppress this noise.
Will equestrians be allowed to use the trail?
Many rail trails have accommodated both equestrians and other users such as walkers and cyclists. Such mixed use is best accommodated where there is a separate unpaved path alongside the prepared (paved or stone dust) trail.
Who is going to pick up the litter?
Not much litter is expected along the trail. The kinds of people who use the trail are generally people who appreciate the outdoors and respect it. Litter has not been a problem along the trails we are most familiar with in this area: e.g. the Minuteman and Battle Road.
Do rail trails attract crime?
No, the experience from other trails is that crime is less frequent on a rail trail than it was on the abandoned railway before the trail was built. The self-policing nature of a rail trail helps suppress crime. The most frequent crime along rail trails is an occasional bicycle theft.
How will the trail be policed?
The local police departments will be responsible, just as they are now for the unused railway.
Will I have the opportunity to provide input to the approval and design of the trail?
Yes. One way is by joining the efforts of the local Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Some of the communities have established official committees to address rail trail issues. These committees solicit community input and their meetings are open to the public. Leasing or sale of the rail bed, funding of the preliminary design and funding of the construction will all have to go through town boards and town meeting. During the various design phases, there will be hearings to review and iterate designs.