New Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) are now installed at the Grove Street trailhead. These signs are similar to what were installed at the Center Street trailhead, and should increase pedestrian safety. The FBRTC is also working to get similar RRFBs installed at the Lake Street trailhead.
Connecting Our Trail To Our Community
FBRTC is collecting local support for revitalizing the economic and recreational opportunities for Downtown Franklin and the surrounding communities by connecting the 1.4-mile Franklin Industrial Track with easy, convenient access to the 22-mile SNETT rail trail!
A trailhead near Downtown Franklin, at Union Street and Cottage Street, will create a healthy opportunity for everyone to safely walk, bike and be active outdoors. The attraction of trail users to the Downtown Franklin area will benefit and rejuvenate the economic activities for restaurants and retailers, improving the overall value and vibrancy of our community.
Project updates:
SNETT rail trail in Bellingham between Center Street and Main Street (Rt 126 overpass) is getting a new coat!
More information can be found here: https://www.bellinghambulletin.com/2022/07/29/407194/mass-dep-working-to-improve-1-2-mile-segment-of-snett
We here at the Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee are excited to share the news that the Franklin Town Council passed Resolution 24-74 at the November 20th meeting in order to purchase land to extend the SNETT towards downtown Franklin. The town allocated $2,570,000 to purchase a total of 19.51 acres between Grove Street and Union Street. Full details can be found on the town’s website.
While this news is very exciting, there is still much work to do, and it will be a few years until the 1.7 mile SNETT extension is ready for use. It will take a while for this complicated financial transaction to be completed. Then the existing rail infrastructure needs to be removed before the final pedestrian surface can be installed. Stay tuned for future updates!
In June 2024, The Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee (FBRTC) sent out a survey asking the community where it should focus its efforts for the remainder of the year. The community responded with 32 respondents providing 51 suggestions. Here you will find a visualization of the recommendations received, and the committee’s response on how we are (or are not) working on the recommendation.
FBRTC Response: The FBRTC is working on applying for a Mass Trails grant that will pay for new benches on the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) between Grove Street in Franklin and Center Street in Bellingham. We are looking at getting benches similar to the ones that are currently installed between Harpin Street and Center Street. As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, comments were submitted to request additional benchest on the SNETT in Franklin & Bellingham.
FBRTC Response: The Town of Franklin is planning to expand the parking area at the Grove St trailhead. Construction should begin in Spring 2025. Parking is also available at the Spring Street, Lake Street, Center Street and Harpin Street trailheads. The Harpin Street trailhead has the most parking available, with a dedicated lot and nearby street parking. Parking is also available at the two nearby school buildings when the schools are not in session.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, expansion and enhancement were highlighted as work that will be focused on in the near future. This includes expanding the trail east of Grove Street in Franklin, and west of South Main Street in Bellingham. The Town of Franklin has also included trail expansion in their 2024 Master Plan.
FBRTC Response: The Town of Bellingham announced in September 2024 that they are adding trash bins to the Harpin Street trailhead as part of their OSRP 2024 Action Plan. In general, DCR advocates for no trash cans and for a “Carry In, Carry Out” policy in most areas, except high density picnic areas. And in those areas, DCR does not provide trash cans, but expects visitors to use the provided dumpsters. With that in mind, if trail visitors are interested in having additional trash bins to the trail, it is recommended that they contact their local town governments.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, comments were submitted to address several erosion / drainage issues that exist on the SNETT is Franklin & Bellingham.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, work to highlight areas with cultural and historical significance will be focused on in the near future. The FBRTC is also working on grants for the Wadsworth Farm area in Franklin.
FBRTC Response: MA DCR does not have a formal policy on disposing of pet waste. If visitors would like DCR to address a specific problem area, they should contact DCR directly.
FBRTC Response: MA DCR does not have a formal policy on plant mitigation. If visitors would like DCR to address a specific problem area, they should contact DCR directly.
FBRTC Response: A core mission of the Committee is to make the SNETT a “universally accessible recreational path”. While the Trail is not currently paved, it does offer a solid, level experience for access to natural areas and exercise. Today, the Trail is finished with a firm, stone dust surface, without large roots or rocks and is at least 36 inches wide. We would welcome your feedback on how we can make the trail more accessible. You can also learn more at:
FBRTC Response: Bathrooms on the trail require infrastructure and maintenance, and while some state trails in Massachusetts have bathrooms at trailheads and parking areas, none are currently planned for the SNETT. Funds for this type of project are typically best provided by the State, through the Department of Conservation and Recreation. You can contact them for more details.
FBRTC Response: The FBRTC is constantly engaging the community, looking to spread the word about how wonderful a resource the SNETT is in the towns of Franklin and Bellingham. The FBRTC attends several town festivals a year, looking to find others who wish to join our effort. If people have ideas on additional events that the FBRTC can attend, please let us know via our social media platforms, or via the Contact Us page on our website.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, comments were submitted to request a dog park along the SNETT is Franklin & Bellingham. A request was also submitted to the Bellingham Open Space and Recreation Committee for the 2024 Open Space and Recreation Action Plan (OSRP)
FBRTC Response: Help us help you! Please contact us to help you organize a group for a one-time or regular walking group.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, comments were submitted to request additional signage along the SNETT is Franklin & Bellingham.
FBRTC Response: MA DCR does not have a formal policy on insect mitigation. If visitors would like DCR to address a specific problem area, they should contact DCR directly.
FBRTC Response: MA DCR is responsible for leash use enforcement. If visitors would like DCR to address a specific problem area, they should contact DCR directly.
FBRTC Response: The FBRTC regularly sends out information to our mailing list, as well as posting information on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter)). If you would like to sign up for our mailing list, please do so on our website here.
FBRTC Response: We would love to get this event going! Please contact us to help us get it started!
FBRTC Response: In October 2024, a Student Conservation Association crew, with guidance from DCR, completed work installing box steps where visitors had been accessing the SNETT from Prospect St. These steps were installed as part of their training.
FBRTC Response: The FBRTC will reach out to MA DCR about installing permanent Story Walk structures. In the meantime, look for the FBRTC to continue to use temporary means for displaying future Story Walks, as we are able to easily move the stories around to the Grove Street, Spring Street, Lake Street, Center Street and Harpin Street trailheads.
NOTE: One of the Story Walks that was installed at the Harpin Street trailhead back in May 2024 went missing less than 2 weeks after installation. More permanent, secure structures may prevent this in the future.
FBRTC Response: As part of the October 2024 DCR Blackstone Complex Resource Management Plans, comments were submitted to request tool / air stations along the SNETT is Franklin & Bellingham.
Congratulations to our Franklin Harvest Festival prize winner, Linda Bernasconi!
Linda visited our table during the Franklin Harvest Festival last month, and won a $100 gift certificate to our partner, Crossing Cycle.
Seen below is Linda receiving her prize from FBRTC President, Cliff Winters, during the Fall Fest in Franklin this past weekend.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has prepared draft Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for several locations inside the Blackstone Complex. The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) is one of the properties targeted for improvements. Copies of the plan for the SNETT are available on the Blackstone RMPs web page.
A meeting was conducted on October 8 where DCR presented an initial draft of the RMPs for the Blackstone Complex. A recording of the meeting and the slideshow from the meeting are available online. DCR encourages the public to share additional feedback, with a deadline for receipt of comments by DCR of October 31st, 2024. Comments may be submitted via the DCR public comment portal. Please be sure to select “Blackstone RMPs” from the “Topic Selection” drop down so that your comments are included with the correct project. Please note that the content of comments you submit to DCR, along with your name, town, and zip code, will be posted on DCR’s website. Additional contact information required when commenting, notably email address, will only be used for outreach on future updates on the subject project or property.
Only 2 weeks until Franklin’s Harvest Festival. Come visit us and enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Crossing Cycle. Learn about the SNETT & get a free bicycle bell.
Neal McNamara from Patch ranked the top Rail Trails in the state, and the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) was ranked #2! Read Neal’s review of the SNETT, and see how other Rail Trails ranked in the article below.
https://patch.com/massachusetts/across-ma/ranking-massachusetts-rail-trails-great-god-tier
Thanks to our partners at MassTrails and Bellingham DPW, new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) were installed last month at the Lake Street trail crossing. The traffic signals were paid for by a grant from MassTrails. Jesse Riedle and the rest of the team at the Bellingham DPW procured and installed the signals.
The Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee (FBRTC) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the 5K race hosted by the Tri-Valley Front Runners (TVFR), which raised over $8,500 to support the development and maintenance of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT). We extend our heartfelt gratitude to TVFR and especially to Mark Capparella, the dedicated race director, and his team for their unwavering support and exceptional organization of this event. At the most recent FBRTC meeting, Mark and the TVFR team presented President Cliff Winters with a donation of $5,373.56, which accounted for the net proceeds of the 2024 race.
The Tri-Valley Front Runners, the premier running organization in the Tri-Valley region, took over the production of this race in 2019 when Dave Labonte, the former director, stepped down. Steve Pohnert, a member of both FBRTC and TVFR, facilitated this transition, and since then, TVFR has continuously supported our cause. The event resumed with a virtual race in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by an in-person road race in 2022, and last year, we successfully hosted our first trail race in 2023.
TVFR, founded in the early 1980s, is an all-inclusive, vibrant running club that welcomes runners of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. They organize a variety of events, including road races, trail runs, track workouts, and group training runs, fostering a sense of community and promoting healthy living. For more information about TVFR, visit Tri-Valley Front Runners.
The FBRTC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the use and development of the SNETT. Our mission is to create, promote, and maintain a safe and accessible trail system that benefits the communities of Franklin and Bellingham. Learn more about our efforts at Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail.
The recent 5K race saw a total of 226 registered participants, with 184 finishers, marking an increase from 131 registrants and 108 finishers in 2022, and 147 registrants and 137 finishers in 2023. The success of this event is a testament to the hard work and collaboration between our volunteers and the TVFR team, including 13 TVFR volunteers and an additional 14 members who participated in the race.
We would like to acknowledge and congratulate our top finishers: Andrew Bairos of Franklin, who won the overall men’s category, and Elizabeth Traphagen of Franklin, who won the overall women’s category. A total of 58 medals were awarded across various age groups, celebrating the spirit and competitiveness of all participants. Full race results can be found at 2024 FBRTC 5K Results.
The next race is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2025. We look forward to another successful event and continued support from our community. For more information on how to get involved or support the FBRTC, please visit our website.
Next time you are out on the trail, check out one of the Story Walks we have installed. Currently, “Tidy” is over at the Grove Street trailhead, and “One Springy, Singy Day” is over at the Harpin Street trailhead.
Throughout the year, we will be also utilizing the Lake Street, Center Street and Fox Run trailheads, so keep an eye out for when new stories appear.
Thank you to our friends at the Franklin Public Library and the Bellingham Public Library for putting together these stories.
See you out on the trail!
Thank you to everyone who came out for the 5k this weekend! This weekend’s event had more than double the participants than last year. We are grateful for all the sponsors, donors and volunteers who made this event happen. See you out on the trail this summer!
