EAST LONGMEADOW — The town of East Longmeadow has received a matching grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to support expansion of the Redstone Rail Trail through a feasibility study, the state announced.
The town will receive up to $34,000 through the grant and are required to fulfill a standard match of the funds up to $8,500, bringing the potential total project funds to $42,500. The funds will go entirely toward conducting a feasibility study to extend the rail trail from Maple Street to Westwood Avenue, Public Works Deputy Superintendent Mark Berman told Reminder Publishing.
The project was originally identified as a priority in the 2021 Master Plan, with the location of the expansion recommended by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Berman said. The study will assess local impacts, project costs and the feasibility of the location for the expansion. Additionally, the study would look at any impacts to the local wetlands in the area, Berman stated.
Expanding the rail trail will help to provide an alternate route for residents to use, as well as provide a safe path for students traveling to and from the high school, Berman noted. The Redstone Rail Trail’s current path runs from Denslow Road to Maple Street. It offers a quiet trail free from motorized vehicles for bicyclists and pedestrians. The trail was created in order to reduce traffic on nearby sidewalks, Berman said.
East Longmeadow was awarded the matching grant after applying to the MassTrails Grant Program. The received grant is part of $12 million given out by the state to support 65 trail improvement projects, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Each grant requires at least a 20% match and is funded through reimbursement after the project is conducted.
Other towns to receive funds from the MassTrails Grant Program include West Springfield receiving $84,980 for the Connecticut Riverwalk, Belchertown receiving $85,000 for the Lake Wallace Sensory Trail and Hardwick receiving $17,080 for Ware River Snowmobile Club equipment maintenance, the DCR stated.
Overall, the East Longmeadow Redstone Rail Trail expansion project will occur in three main steps, Berman said. After the feasibility study, the town will again apply for a grant in order to complete the work necessary to design the expansion. Then, a third grant would be needed to complete the actual work, he stated.
While the MassTrails Grant Program is annual, Berman explained that an estimation for the completion of the Redstone Rail Trail expansion or any potential impacts on residents will not be known until further along in the project.
Berman highlighted that the town was looking to continue expanding the rail trail beyond this current work from Maple Street to Westwood Avenue if funds are available in the future. He expressed hope for the project’s completion, stating that he was looking forward to “[getting] some good numbers” from the feasibility study and moving forward with the project.
