Some who oppose the rail trail in Dedham have made numerous claims that are only designed to mislead and scare people about this project. Don't be fooled by the fear mongering. Check out the FACT SHEET published by the Town of Dedham that debunks claims made by those who oppose the trail.
What was the 2020 Town ballot question about and what happened in the vote?
The 2020 referendum question was non-binding and asked a very simple question: Are you in favor of building the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail?
Over 6K residents voted - one of the highest turnouts in 10 years! Unfortunately the “no” votes edged out the “yes” votes by 249. Pretty much a tie.
What happens now?
Many of these projects have negative votes only to come back again and come to fruition. We believe that this can happen in Dedham but not unless supportive residents help make it happen.
How can I best help the effort?
Communicate with your neighbors to help dispel some of the propaganda that was circulated about rail trails and this project in particular. You may hear the word “divisive” used to dismiss the project and shut down conversation. The strategy of branding a rail trail or greenway project as “divisive” has been used in other towns i.e. Lynnfield, Swampscott as a way to try and shut their projects down. Luckily Lynnfield, Swampscott and countless other towns have triumphed over this nonsense and gone on to create their trails.
There is an actual group called National Association of Reversionary Property Owners (NARPO), that coaches opposition groups on how to kill these projects. So if you hear the “divisive” script - you’ll know where it came from…
There is no reason that a bike/pedestrian path should ever be considered divisive.
Communicate with your elected officials. See - the Get Involved section for email addresses.
Who would pay for the rail trail?
No town taxes would be used to pay for design or construction.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) funds all construction through programs such as the Capital Investment Plan (CIP).
There are state grant opportunities such as the MassTrails Grants for design costs. The MassTrails grants offer up to $300K per year per potential grant and require a 20% match. So if we applied for the full $300K, that would mean the Friends would raise $60K to fulfill the 20% match. Private/corporate foundations also fund these types of projects. Needham Bank for example, helped to fund the design of the Needham Rail Trail.
We would be following in the footsteps of dozens of other Massachusetts towns that have tapped into state funding programs to pay for their trails.
To find other examples of MassDOT funded bike/pedestrian paths, visit: https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/projectinfo/projectinfo.asp
Go to “Advanced Project Search” on the drop down menu that says “select project type” click on “Bikeway/bike path construction.”
What is the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail?
The Dedham Heritage Rail Trail (DHRT) is a plan to transform the abandoned Dedham rail line (10 acres of public land) into a landscaped park and community path. Dedham purchased the corridor for $1M in 1999 with the intent of using it for recreation. In 2002, the town - along with oversight from the MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), capped the corridor in Dedham and even made some areas wide enough to accommodate fitness stations (per DEP). Then someone shut down the project. We aim to resurrect this very worthy project as it would be a tremendous asset for the town - as such trails are all across the state.
Where is the abandoned rail corridor located?
The abandoned rail corridor runs from East Street at the corner of Avery Street, near Dedham Square towards East Dedham and ends at the Readville train station where a finished 1/4 mile section of trail was completed by the developers of the Readville Yard 5 project.
What are the benefits of the proposed rail trail?
The DHRT will promote healthy behaviors. People of all ages and abilities will have a safe, peaceful place to walk, run, bike, and relax on a level path, free from traffic. Kids will be able to walk or bike the path to school.
The DHRT will protect the privacy of neighbors with greenery and fencing on each side, paid for by the state. Cleaning up the blighted corridor will drive out bad use and make trail neighbors and users safer. Renewing the corridor would also honor our railroad history and heritage. It would also fulfill the commitment the Town of Dedham made to the State when they were given permission to build the Avery School on the corridor. The permission was conditional on the Town honoring the “future” Dedham Rail Trail.
To date, this agreement has not been honored.
Who owns the rail corridor?
The Town of Dedham purchased the old rail corridor in 1999 for $1.5 million. Our Town owns the rail corridor, lock, stock, and barrel. The title is not in question. Eminent domain is not an issue.
The MBTA still owns a short section of the Dedham corridor at the Dedham/ Readville, which Dedham could lease for 99-years for $1. The MBTA has confirmed that any private purchaser of the MBTA property in Dedham would be required to preserve the rail corridor for a community path.
What is the width of the proposed trail?
It’s important to understand that the community path will only take a fraction of the space on the existing, abandoned rail corridor - whose "width varies from 50 to over 80 feet” according to the Town of Dedham’s 2019 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP.)
AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) recommends a width of 10 feet for multi-use paths with two shoulders at 2 feet each - for a total width of 14 feet.
Using these guidelines - even along the 50 foot width segments, we’d still have an ample 36 feet for buffering - including plantings, shrubs, trees, and brand-new fencing.
How long is the proposed trail and where will it connect?
The trail is about 10 acres in area and approximately 1.3 miles long. It would connect to Dedham Square, Gonzalez Field, and Readville Train Station as well as provide a safe car-free path to three schools.
What is the status of the Readville section of the rail corridor in Boston? Can we connect to it?
The Readville Yard 5 development project in Boston has already built a bike path from the Readville train station to the Dedham town line. Public access to this bike path is guaranteed by the Transportation Access Plan Agreement (TAPA). The TAPA is an agreement between Highland Yard 5 Associates (the developer of Yard 5 in Readville), the Boston Planning & Development Agency, and the City of Boston Transportation Department. The TAPA outlines the requirements for the developer to provide public access to the site, among other things.
Are there other community paths that are near or integrated into school campuses?
Yes. There are several successful community paths integrated with schools.
The Holliston trail is right across from the Sam Placentino elementary school and the Robert Adams Middle School.
The Swampscott trail, which is underway, will connect to Clarke Elementary School and the Middle School.
The Milton community path connects to the Glover school (it is part of their Safe Routes to school program).
Marblehead has two schools beside their existing trail, the Tower School (pre-k to 8) and the Epstein Hillel School (k-8).
The Tri-Community Greenway in Winchester, Stoneham, and Woburn goes directly past four school campuses. It actually splits and has two routes through Winchester High school, it goes directly past the Muraco Elementary school in Winchester, the Central Middle School in Stoneham, and the Goodyear Elementary School in Woburn. It’s also also under a block from the Winchester Middle school and Lincoln Elementary school in Winchester.
How did the Avery School take over a section of the rail corridor to use as a driveway? Can this section be used for a future rail trail?
The good news is that the Town of Dedham and the School Committee are obligated to allow construction of the rail trail along the original rail corridor adjacent to the Avery School. But the story is a bit complicated.
In 1999, the MBTA sold the abandoned rail corridor to Dedham for recreational use, as stated in the deed. Even then, the rail corridor was part of a regional network of trails planned by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). However, in the mid-2000s, the Dedham School Committee was planning to build the new Avery School right next to the abandoned rail corridor. By law (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 54A), the Commonwealth tries to preserve abandoned railroad corridors for transportation-related use. This law requires that cities or towns in the Commonwealth must get written consent from the Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to issue a building permit on any land adjacent to a former railroad right-of-way. When Dedham applied for the Avery School building permit, the MAPC stepped in to protect the rail corridor for the future rail trail. The result? MassDOT consented to the building permit, conditional on the compliance of the Town of Dedham and the School Committee “to allow the future construction of the Dedham Rail Trail” on the rail corridor and “to optimize bicycling and walking access.”
Who would maintain the trail?
The Town has the primary responsibility for maintaining the Rail Trail, along with the assistance of volunteers from the Friends of the Dedham Heritage Rail Trail. Local businesses such as L.L. Bean and Whole Foods have helped on several clean ups where employees did community service time. Ample opportunities exist to find more volunteer groups as well, such as local scouting groups, and high school student groups looking to fulfill community service requirements.
Would pets be allowed on the trail?
All other towns with rail trails allow dogs - on leash, on their rail trails. We assume Dedham would follow this standard practice. The rail trail is a public byway - like a street, where dogs are allowed on leash. Owners would be required to pick up after their dogs.
Will the trail have lights?
Some trails have low lighting, some do not have any, it will be up to the Town to decide during the design phase. In the design phase public input helps to guide the features of the trail.
Will there be a bridge over East Street to connect it to Gonzalez Athletic Field?
There will be a bridge over River Street and that would be paid for by MassDOT as part of the construction process. It would be decided in the design phase if a bridge was also wanted over East St. It is not needed but it would provide a seamless way for kids to go from their school by bike/foot and get to Gonzalez Athletic Field as well as Memorial Field. So it would be an ideal companion to those fields. There is already access to the rail corridor at East St. and so a bridge - if determined ideal, would also be paid for by MassDOT construction funds.
What is the design process?
There are typically four phases in the design process: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Once the 25% phase is completed, the town can apply to be in the queue for MassDOT Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funding. In the design phase, consultants work with the town to incorporate the desired features - with input from the public. It would be recommended - by the Friends of the DHRT, that access be designed at East St., Mt. Vernon St., Walnut St., and River St. The design process involves working with residents to develop a plan that works for all.
Are there any environmental concerns about using the old rail corridor? In 2002, the DPW capped the corridor with oversight from the MA Dept. of Environmental Protection to make this space safe for pedestrian and bike use. This technique has been used on many rail trail/community paths.
Can the shrubbery/fencing be installed as soon as the right-of-way is cleared?
Shrubbery and fencing are installed after other construction work is complete. If the shrubbery and fencing are installed sooner, they may become damaged by the construction equipment. MassDOT covers the cost of privacy plantings and fencing.
Do rail trails attract crime?
At present our neglected corridor is being used for underage drinking, illegal drug use, trash dumping and an informal off-leash dog run. The experience from other towns is that once their corridors are transformed into cleaned up bike and pedestrian paths, this bad behavior disappears. On our Video section you will find two interviews with police chiefs: our own Chief of Police as well as the Chief of Police of Milford - where they have created a rail trail. They address this concern.
How will the trail be policed?
The Dedham Police Department will be responsible, just as they are now for the space however they have a hard time accessing the area at present. A MassDOT converted path would allow for access for police vehicles. It will also be self-policed by neighbors and users. Please see our video on the home page of an interview with our Chief of Police about how they would patrol the area. It should be noted that at present, access to the area is very challenging. A finished trail would make it easier for police to access the corridor.
Will the community be liable for accidents on the rail trail?
The town will face the same liability as they currently have for accidents on the roads, sidewalks, recreation areas and public areas. These liability costs are usually minimal and are capped by statute. The corridor is currently owned by the Town, is public land and would be covered by the existing policy for the town.
What is the general cost of construction?
The feasibility study completed by Weston & Sampson estimated the cost between $3M to $5M. All construction costs would be covered by MassDOT funding programs.
Will the trail be plowed in the winter?
This would be determined by the community once the trail is in place. Some towns clear snow from their trails - especially if students use them to get to school. Other towns opt to leave them unplowed.
How do we control cyclists speed?
The Dedham Heritage Rail Trail is meant as a community path that accommodates all kinds of users. Well-trained cyclists who log lots of miles at high speeds are unlikely to use the rail trail, as they generally prefer to use the roads. The cycling users of the trail will be families with children, recreational users and commuters.
Did the town vote “no” for the development of the Rail Trail? No. The town meeting members voted on Article 19 in May, 2018. This article was to approve the funding of a traffic study around the school campuses (Avery/Middle School/High School) and to hire a consultant to help the town evaluate the development of the rail trail and survey a wider constituency of town residents. This article was voted down. Subsequently, town meeting members voted on a different article in November, 2018 for a traffic study with the exact same school footprint. This article passed and the traffic study is underway. However, it is unclear if the abandoned rail trail corridor or possible creation of a car free path will be factored into the study by the consultant.
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Contact us at dedhamrailtrail@gmail.com