We have a busy month ahead of us and we hope you can connect with us at one of our events. Please see the list below and click the link for more details.
We are excited to announce that funding of the Prospect Street tunnel on the SNETT rail trail in Franklin, MA has been approved!!!
State Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin) and Rep. Mike Soter (R-Bellingham) shared this great news with the Franklin & Rail Trail Committee members, guests and visitors at our Tuesday’s meeting on September 10, 2019.
State Rep. Jeff Roy delivering the news about funding approval to FBRTC and community members.
The project will go out to bid in November 2019 and should be completed by the end of the summer/early fall of 2020.
The funding of this project is a result of many years of collective effort by FBRTC members, state legislators, DCR officials, Franklin and Bellingham Town officials and residents.
Town and State Officials present at the meeting (left to right): James Kupfer (Bellingham Town Planner), Cary Vandenakker (DCR Representative), Rep. Mike Soter (Bellingham), Melanie Hamblen (Franklin Town Councilor), Rep. Jeff Roy (Franklin), Marc Kaplan (FBRTC president)
“The Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee (FBRTC) is proud to be the community advocate for the SNETT and the funding of the Prospect Street tunnel project,” said Marc Kaplan, FBRTC president. “The tunnel project solves a major impasse on the SNETT and creates a seamless connection between the towns of Franklin and Bellingham. When completed, the tunnel will help realize our mission of making a universally accessible trail for all ages and abilities and will improve the quality of life for residents. We would like to thank Representatives Roy and Soter and Senators Spilka and Rausch, as well as Franklin and Bellingham Town administrators for their leadership to secure funding for this important project, and the DCR for their tireless work and direct assistance in developing the SNETT rail trail.”
We cannot forget to also thank the Franklin Odd Fellows – the Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee was originally formed in January 2009 as their community project!
We are so looking forward to see this project come to a completion!
Conceptual rendering (courtesy of DCR) of the tunnel (above), current state of the trail (below).
For additional, detailed information, please visit the following resources:
So it is dog days of summer time of the year. Most people head out toward water, but the trails have their beauty in the summer too. Please enjoy some of the views that can be found along the SNETT trail. Photos were taken between the Center Street (Bellingham, MA) and Prospect Street (Franklin, MA). See you on the trail!
Thank you to all who have joined us today for our dog/group walk. We walked from the Grove Street to Prospect Street in Franklin and back. On our 2.6 mile walk we have enjoyed the shade of the trail, saw beautiful nature, walked by Wadsworth Farm on Spring Street (you can read more about the history at the kiosk nearby or on our website), where you can purchase beautiful flower pots, fresh blueberries and enjoy the views of fields and meadows. We have met other dog walkers and runners who were out early to beat the heat. Our volunteer members also cleaned up the parking lot area and trail entrance area before walk – thank you!
Please keep en eye out on our event page here or on Facebook for the future walk and event announcements. See you on the trail!
Before walk – the dogs were not feeling like posing for the paparazzi.If you have not been yet, check out the Wadsworth Farm on Spring Street in Franklin.Swallowtail butterly along the trail.Don’t be a litterbug!
Please join us on Friday, July 19, 2019 for a dog walk/group walk on the SNETT rail trail. We will start at 9am from the Grove Street trailhead in Franklin. Parking lot is across the street from the trailhead (next to Metcalf Materials). The trail is shaded and an easy walk. Please bring leash and anything else you and your dog may need on the walk.
Please join us in June on Friday, 6/14 from 4pm to 8pm at the annual Franklin’s Strawberry Stroll in Downtown Franklin and on Saturday, June 22 at 10am for StoryWalk®/group walk in Bellingham (meet at the Center Street parking lot). Please visit our event page for more details. We hope to see you at on or both events!
With all this rain the SNETT is definitely showing off her greenery. Thanks to all who participated in the May walk. Hope to see a strong turnout in June when wildflowers should be in bloom.
Sunday, May 19th at 10AM. Lake Street SNETT parking lot
Join the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee on our next monthly trail walk. Meet us at the Lake Street, Bellingham SNETT parking lot on Sunday, May 19th at 10AM. Families and leashed dogs always adds to the fun!
Crew from left to right:
Mark McKeown, Stephen Greene, Tony DaSilva, Rita McCarthy, Marc Kaplan
The 2019 Spring Cleanup Crew cleaned the Grove Street to Prospect Street section of the eastern portion of the SNETT. Multiple plastic bags of trash were collected by this year’s spring cleanup crew.
