Thanks to a recently awarded MassTrails grant, the town of Sunderland will soon begin exploration of a mixed-use path from Whately to Amherst.
The grant, a total of $195,090 from MassTrails through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will go toward designing a 10-foot-wide shred-use path from the Whately Park and Ride off Interstate 91 along Route 116 and through South Deerfield passing DCR’s Sugarloaf, over the Connecticut River and through Sunderland, ending just south of Meadow Street in Amherst.
“Our trail network links cities and towns across the region, playing a crucial role in building strong, united communities. They provide spaces for residents to come together, connect with each other and engage in healthy, outdoor activities,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
From there, it will connect to a future alignment that is on the MassTrails Priority Network Vision Map.
“By encouraging alternative transportation options, trails play a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impact of commuting, leading to healthier communities,” said Rebecca Tepper, secretary for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Sunderland Town Administrator Geoff Kravitz told Reminder Publishing the efforts behind securing grant funding for the expansion of a mixed-use path throughout the community started with the town’s Selectboard, specifically member Dan Murphy. According to Kravitz, Murphy’s multimodal advocacy for the community has spearheaded efforts on this project.
Sunderland Selectboard member Dan Murphy has been a proponent for an improved trail system connecting the Hilltowns with Amherst and added it will create safer travel options for those utilizing the trail.
“The trail will provide commuters with safe separated multimodal option for travel and recreation allowing users to park and walk to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the Hadley commercial areas via the safe Norwottuck Trail Network.
Kravitz added with the number of commuters between Sunderland and Amherst and the lack of safe alternatives between I-91 to North Amherst without a car, an opportunity is there to provide safer options.
“[Murphy] thought ‘hey, this would be a great thing to have, and we can connect a bunch of recreational opportunities in Sunderland and provide safer transportation options since there aren’t many sidewalks on 116,’” Kravitz added.
“The Route 116 corridor is a high-volume and high-speed corridor that has a history of fatal incidents for bikes and pedestrians,” said Sunderland Selectboard Vice Chair Christyl Drake-Tremblay. “Creating a safe environment for walkers and bikes is a priority for Sunderland.”
Selectboard Chair Nathanial Waring added another benefit from the project will be all the new connections now made available.
“Another benefit is that it will provide excellent recreational access to DCR Sugarloaf, Mt Tobey, the Connecticut River and Sunderland’s Riverside Park,” said Waring.
Kravitz added that for the time being, work from the grant funding would soon begin on looking and trying to get a better understanding of what is feasible engineering wise for the project. He added one of the things they would be looking closely at through this design phase is being able to create at least a 3-foot-separation from the roadway.
“In our heads, the idea would be to sort of go along 116 all the way through. Once you get into Amherst, there’s some areas where you can get away from the road a little bit further, so we’re just trying to make it so that you’re not on the edge of a 50 mile per hour road,” Kravitz said. “Basically, separation from the road is going to be big.”
He added elevating the walkway is another traffic calming measure for the potential trail and that there will be a brainstorming process through the design phase.
“At this point right now we’re just engaging in a consultant to help with the feasibility study so until we’ve done that, we don’t really have a timeline,” Kravitz added.
Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the town was pleased to support Sunderland’s successful grant application. He added planning for an alternative walk/bike route for the heavily traveled corridor will become a tremendous asset to the area.
“Route 116 is an integral route for the area. As such, it’s important to find the best ways to ensure not only a good level of service but also safe and welcoming means for all users including pedestrians and bicyclists. We look forward to see what a new mixed-use path could mean for the communities,” Bockelman said.