Select Board asks manager to draft conditional rail‑to‑trail letter amid debate over rail spur used for waste transfer

A heated public discussion over the weekend culminated Oct. 27 when the Select Board asked the town manager to draft a letter — to be considered at the board’s Dec. 1 meeting — that would express the town’s position on converting the Falmouth secondary rail (F2) corridor to a bicycle‑pedestrian trail.

Supporters, including the Friends of the Bourne Rail Trail and the Select Board’s bicycle and pedestrian committee, argued converting the corridor entirely to a trail is the most cost‑effective way to close a 6.5‑mile gap between the Cape Cod Canal path and the Shining Sea Bikeway, citing consultant estimates and federal funding opportunities. They stressed public benefits including continuous recreational access and local economic gains tied to multi‑use paths.

Opponents — including town management and Public Works — warned that removing the existing tracks could jeopardize the Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station’s economically favorable rail spur, which currently moves large quantities of C&D and other bulk materials off the Cape by rail and removes heavy truck trips across the bridges. Public Works noted that rail cars can move the equivalent of dozens of large roll‑off trucks and that bridge construction and constrained capacity make freight rail a critical contingency for regional waste movement.

Speakers also debated cost estimates and project feasibility. Supporters described rail‑to‑trail estimates in the low tens of millions and argued rail‑with‑trail options that preserve track while adding a parallel path could cost many times more and include major land takings and new bridgework. Department staff countered that building replacement rail infrastructure or a modernized corridor (to preserve freight/passenger uses and add trail) should be designed and available before any removal of existing rail to avoid service disruptions.

After extended public comment and board discussion, the Select Board unanimously directed the town manager to draft a letter supporting the rail‑to‑trail concept but conditioned on ensuring future rail infrastructure, multimodal planning, and assurances that waste transfer and critical freight options remain viable. The letter is to be returned to the board for final approval on Dec. 1.

The discussion highlighted the technical tradeoffs between short‑term recreational gains and the logistic/financial role the rail spur plays for regional solid‑waste operations and future multi‑modal possibilities; board members asked staff to pursue integrated planning and to document funding timelines for any federal or state grants referenced in advocacy letters.