Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rail Trails topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Regional Rail‑Trail advocates outline 114‑mile network plan and funding needs
Summary
The Monadnock Region Rail Trail Collaborative presented a multi‑year plan to upgrade 114 miles of rail corridor for multi‑use trails, described ongoing grant-funded work and launched a public 'rail‑trail challenge' to boost tourism and local business sponsorship.
Mike Tualze, founder and president of the Monadnock Region Rail Trail Collaborative, briefed Cheshire County commissioners on Feb. 12 about the group's work to connect and upgrade a network of rail‑trail corridors across the region.
Tualze said the collaborative's territory includes several corridors—the Cheshire Rail Trail, Ashuelot Trail, Fort Hill Trail, Monadnock Trail and the Peterborough–Hillsborough corridor—and that state ownership (New Hampshire DOT) covers most of those rights-of-way. He described progress on trail reconstruction, drainage and tree clearing funded by Recreation Trails Program (RTP) and other grants, and noted work in Westmoreland, Marlborough, Troy and Swansea where tree clearing, ditch repair and surface work are underway or planned.
Tualze highlighted several large challenges: five major washouts that require engineering and an estimated $1.7 million to repair; two missing bridge connections on the Cheshire Rail Trail (Route 101 and Swansea Factory Road) needed to create continuous segments; and right‑of‑way gaps where private ownership prevents continuous trail routing.
He described funding sources used or pursued: federal RTP grants, state grant‑in‑aid (GIA) for snowmobile clubs (used for tree clearing in certain windows), private grants such as American Trails, and larger opportunities including Northern Border Regional Commission grants. He said a pending state bill (Senate Bill 274) would, if passed, transfer selected rail corridors from DOT to the Bureau of Trails and create an emergency repair fund and additional bureau staff to support trails; Tualze testified on the bill and said committee reaction was positive though funding would be uncertain.
To expand public engagement and support, the collaborative has developed a “Monadnock Rail Trail Challenge,” a passport-style mobile check‑in program run by a third-party vendor where riders register, check in at participating businesses and earn rewards. Tualze said organizers expect to launch April 1 with a $30 registration fee that covers rewards and to recruit local businesses as $250 sponsors.
Tualze said plans include improved signage, hydration and repair stations, counters, and marketing to attract multi‑day tourists from Boston and beyond. He urged municipal partners to help secure matching funds and local capacity for maintenance and noted volunteer and snowmobile-club engagement as central to maintaining corridors.
Ending: The collaborative is seeking grant matches, private sponsorships and municipal partnerships to complete gap projects and repair washouts; and it expects some grant-funded projects to finish later this year if federal and state funds are available.
