[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6075226,"mediaKeyId","2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05","parentId",2979931,"title","Sudbury trails committee to interview applicants for two openings; minutes approved","audioSeconds",3193,"startMs",79000,"endMs",3272000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05&start=79&end=3272","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05/thumbnail_79000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6075226/Town-of-Sudbury/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Sudbury-trails-committee-to-interview-applicants-for-two-openings-minutes-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075226-a6e3d6894744f9970a5d447ef6d73ad0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166200&Signature=LHKNJi0EdI1UiFMqERZebDkEQfqcVoaGO9qlp~o6ryqPRrvL-wFWhMa93KOtwxKwjOdDf5qM4NY2kWKOnKf4RwEPmWwJDq9xDh9VaeCjghfUvFETylTB7VfrqF~Oy6swT~ampQAl4KpCfY3VAWa5WxU3FGTSexTULrigSrhyN1C7hvbx1ylvE6-W~-BgLFslhnsDN4icqzMX86Ka8uV4m8IRbxppYzfVHH8~CkN5hjLNEKOmQmuIZ~BdwKWwLviAyOCOqPo08BQdE5XonShqdPd~fDIE96K8gwv1sbin460hQYFOxuo~4dODfhAJJwd2RasgUs33geLKpaCvmDKhug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Sudbury, MA","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Trails Advisory Committee discussed filling two committee vacancies and scheduled interviews with applicants, and the committee approved minutes from its March 5, 2024 meeting.

Chair John Dobrinsky said the committee currently has two openings following recent resignations and that three applicants have applied so far. He asked staff to invite interested applicants to the committee's next meeting so members can interview them and make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen; the select board makes final appointments. Marsha (staff) confirmed the town policy that notices run for 30 days and that the town had posted the opening roughly two weeks earlier; she said the application period remains open and additional applicants may apply.

On routine business, a member moved to accept the March 5, 2024 minutes and the motion passed by voice vote. The chair called for the ayes and the minutes were recorded as accepted; staff will circulate the approved minutes and post them to the town's records.

Why it matters: filling committee seats maintains quorum and ensures the committee can carry out design review, public outreach and coordination tasks tied to the Mass Central Rail Trail and other projects. The committee will hold interviews at a meeting to be determined and will forward its recommendation to the Board of Selectmen for formal appointment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sudbury, MA - Rail Trails Advisory Committee - Meeting of April 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee chair said two vacancies exist and staff reported three applications; the group will invite applicants to a future meeting for interviews and then recommend appointments to the Select Board. The committee approved the March 5, 2024 minutes by voice vote.","taxTitle","Town of Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",54132,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6075229,"Committee hears lessons from trail tours: maintenance costs, dog-waste stations and business connections",620,2068000,2688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05&start=2068&end=2688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05/thumbnail_2068000.jpg","/articles/6075229/Town-of-Sudbury/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-hears-lessons-from-trail-tours-maintenance-costs-dog-waste-stations-and-business-connections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075229-aa00dbc18ea865a0cbcf07cc7cbd6931/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166200&Signature=mN6aJ92yU6vCFrOjp4yRK6f2fupP282JZmhPCyBnbPWgzjcnwAuKY0rm-q5c-r0zl8hNNTWYWIGOLZ7o516~2yhBambF89Ia-P7URuAAjA75LMoW38lLa~rjbCtQqt2SE503DVS2QCtk0Z39YGbjN6Bs7R32aBylrJo96FxXYNwGFjLGJ9RqY2XQqDZzWS~bggQiNCyZXcu4hp9nrWhoA7Okb8liKaFviQ6xetwFKzlfGTgSWGa2BYTKe2T4BK47jmB-qkxX7L4-mWs6BCeZjwVIwKnFgNLbQ2IaV5exJCsrg5fr1ZpV9m~c98ij9uBxRGpYhsrs731inun7F5miwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee member Glenn Pransky summarized observations from visits to 15 suburban rail trails and told the committee that well-located amenities and proactive maintenance plans drive better user behavior and preserve pavement.

Glenn said communities he visited that provided dog-waste stations and empty them regularly \"saw absolutely no dog poop\" where those facilities were installed. He described an estimated maintenance benchmark, saying \"the average cost for maintenance for paved rail trails is about $2,000 per mile per year.\" He told members that those costs typically cover minor repairs, vegetation control, trash removal and seasonal work.

Glenn recounted examples from the American Tobacco Trail (Apex/Chapel Hill, N.C.) and a Farmington Canal example in Connecticut to show how connections to town centers and businesses can convert trail users into customers. He said communities with clear spurs, signage and safe crossings saw more local economic activity near trail access points. \"Businesses want connections,\" he said, and residents in some towns jockey to create neighborhood spurs to the trail.

Committee members asked how dog-station programs are funded; Glenn said in some towns stations are supported through dog-tag fees or paid directly from municipal budgets and are usually located near parking lots or trail intersections where town crews can service them once a week.

The presentation prompted discussion about local next steps: committee members suggested that staff check town dog-tag fee allocations, consider dog-waste stations near proposed parking, and include maintenance-cost planning in future grant applications (MassTrails, CPA match). The committee also discussed piloting adaptive-bike demonstrations in partnership with disability groups; a member of the public, John McQueen, said Acton has contracted with a mobile adaptive-bike supplier the committee might contact.

Why it matters: routine maintenance and well-placed amenities reduce long-term repair costs and improve user experience; early coordination on connections increases economic returns for nearby businesses and supports equitable access for users with disabilities.","A committee member who toured 15 suburban rail trails recommended provision of dog-waste stations, routine maintenance budgeting and strategic connectors to businesses; he cited an average maintenance cost of about $2,000 per paved rail-trail mile per year from national practice.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6075236,"Sudbury committee: Mass Central Rail Trail to transfer to DCR, paving expected by June 30",288,837000,1125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05&start=837&end=1125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979931-d3a8cd87d05089c396ea681411484e05/thumbnail_837000.jpg","/articles/6075236/Town-of-Sudbury/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Sudbury-committee-Mass-Central-Rail-Trail-to-transfer-to-DCR-paving-expected-by-June-30","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075236-4cd881fcb97aef358dd43a62d35326fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166200&Signature=X~NqgMA7mM0OUTRbLExTIuLPY85NH~V3iAx7HRptpGw45296GGTb4i~ereQNpmeW9~LEBC19F~DlUXdEypuUbHS1WWw~bm9zHE1cmDpef4swmrJPUa2CV3cNH6~VrS3FSMiXYRdUh5ceFJOyszpFUktAUk-p5IyDXmfOG5OCUxICuBfO5LNsh81MIsFrv-Le2c0fML119ymvB02oSSmJylcG2fyveamJUiXEFoCie9TkkR42Bm5sFmruZx6nRqbY-4eiR6UjouXtXPaRy9DIpTd3LaVvGO1FqL~7kM-6YqiBfN4biHCH90SVDtbckTJjmcCTwztjKf382wD6RdxayA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Trails Advisory Committee heard an update that the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) segment in Sudbury was formally to be handed from Eversource to the Department of Conservation and Recreation and that on-site construction activities would begin in early April.

Marsha (staff member) told the committee that \"Eversource was supposed to hand off the project to the Department of Conservation and Recreation as of April 1, and we anticipate that construction will begin the week of April 7.\" She said the selected contractor is ET and L Corporation and that the company participated in earlier work on the corridor.

The update said the project team expects fine grading and paving to begin later in April and that the project schedule currently targets paving completion by June 30, 2025; the overall contract runs into the following year because plantings and related work are scheduled after paving. Marsha told members, \"I don't yet have a completion date... everything is supposed to be done by 06/30/2025.\" She also said MassDOT has not completed certification of the new traffic signals and that the town will not conduct a final walk-through until MassDOT signs off on the work.

Committee members raised safety and access questions for the construction period. Marsha said DCR was asked to provide a traffic engineer to review temporary access routes and that she and DCR staff would meet in the field to locate a potential pad for a porta-potty near the Diamond (intersection) to support trail users during construction. Marsha said the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Trail had offered to help provide that amenity.

Members discussed whether the trail would be formally open during active paving. Marsha relayed DCR's guidance that the construction phase would be a period when staff might ask people to stay off the trail because of heavy equipment and paving operations. Committee members emphasized posting clear warnings and barriers where appropriate but acknowledged the town's limited control while the contractor and DCR manage construction.

The committee also discussed coordination with surrounding communities. Marsha reported the intermunicipal agreement between the Town of Sudbury and the City of Framingham has been finalized and will soon be signed by both jurisdictions to support the cross-town work. She said the select board had signed a letter of support to DCR and state transportation officials urging completion of the Mass Central Rail Trail; committee members agreed Marsha should forward that letter to DCR and MassDOT and to their legislative contacts.

Marsha said the town will advertise a request for proposals for the Parkinson Field driveway project on COMMBUYS and the central register, and that public-works staff are following up on pothole reports where construction trucks used the site as a staging area.

Why it matters: the Mass Central Rail Trail is a mixed-use corridor that connects Sudbury to neighboring towns; the schedule, safety measures and final design decisions will affect users, adjacent property owners and traffic at several intersections. The committee identified temporary access, signage and porta-potty placement as items for immediate follow-up.

Looking ahead, the committee set a tentative 25% design public hearing for phase 3 on May 15, 2025, and discussed pursuing a MassTrails grant and local matching funds (including Community Preservation Act sources) for connection and signage work in future application cycles.","Staff and committee members said Eversource is handing the Mass Central Rail Trail project to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, with construction activity and paving scheduled this spring and an expected paving completion target of June 30, 2025. Committee members flagged safety, traffic certification and temporary access concerns.","actionData","errors"]

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Sudbury trails committee to interview applicants for two openings; minutes approved

Committee hears lessons from trail tours: maintenance costs, dog-waste stations and business connections

Sudbury committee: Mass Central Rail Trail to transfer to DCR, paving expected by June 30