Don Byrne, a Westborough resident and volunteer organizer, presented a public overview of the proposed Boston–Worcester Airline Trail (BWALT) to the Town of Northborough Planning Board on Jan. 7, describing route options, funding possibilities and remaining obstacles.

Byrne said BWALT would largely follow the former Boston Worcester Airline Electric Railroad right-of-way through Framingham, Southborough, Westborough, Northborough and Shrewsbury, with a spur to Marlborough and a spur north through Northborough and Berlin to connect to the Mass Central Rail Trail. He told the board portions of the route are already on state- or locally controlled land and that MassTrails and other state funding programs could cover much of design and construction if local easements and permissions are secured.

Byrne said Westborough completed a feasibility study and is advancing design work on sections of the route; he estimated low design costs relative to construction and said a typical MassTrails planning grant could cover 25% of design, with construction grants available for matched projects. He outlined two segments that would be particularly relevant to Northborough: a Route 9 corridor segment linking Northborough Crossing and Avalon Apartments to Westborough and the MBTA station, and a second segment that follows an aqueduct corridor from the former state hospital area up to Berlin that would link industrial areas, schools and recreational sites in Northborough.

Panel members asked about the aqueduct crossing and permissions from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Byrne said MWRA has been cautious about trail surfacing on operational aqueducts but that he is pursuing examples elsewhere in the U.S. and working with local and state advocates, including the legislative trails caucus, to seek approvals. Planning Department staff said recent progress on related design work for another aqueduct crossing has eased a key bottleneck in neighboring towns; Westborough is holding a public meeting on Jan. 16 on its BWALT work.

After discussion, board members expressed general support for Northborough sending a letter to Westborough indicating the town would be open to exploring the trail and potential coordination. Planning staff said they would place a letter on town letterhead and send it to the Westborough Select Board and Planning Board. Byrne offered to forward his presentation materials for staff distribution. Board members also discussed the possibility of pursuing a feasibility study or Community Preservation funding later in the year, noting that a MassTrails grant or transportation funding often supports phased design and construction.

No formal vote was recorded on construction or funding; the board agreed to forward a support letter and to review feasibility materials and potential funding steps at a later meeting.