Our Work With MassTrails Trail & Greenways Grants
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Westfield River Levee Multi-Use Trail.
As communities look to incorporate outdoor trails, greenways, and shared-use paths in transportation planning, municipalities can pursue state agency grant funding for these projects. MassTrails is one grant funding program available for recreational trail and shared-use pathway projects across Massachusetts.
This funding enables communities to create or build upon existing trail networks for public use while allocating Chapter 90 transportation funding towards traditional infrastructure projects such as roads and sidewalks. MassTrails grants are versatile in what they can be used for, including design, permitting, construction, maintenance and repair work, equipment used for trail maintenance, and property acquisition related to trail development.
Our Transportation team works with clients on MassTrails grant funding applications, including providing initial design and engineering proposals and budget overviews, to create a scope and plan for the grant award.
A newly-constructed section of the North Central Pathway in Winchendon, MA.
Grants can be awarded up to $500,000 per project, and a 20% community match is required from the recipient. The amount of funding allocated to the program results in a significant number of projects receiving funds each year – 65 separate projects in 2024 alone. Larger grant amounts are typically awarded to projects that are extending an existing network, filling in a gap, or connecting to other trails.
Our recent work on projects that have received MassTrails funding includes:
- Webster Street Parcel Shared-Use Path (Winchendon, MA) that extended the existing North Central Pathway, provided a connection to downtown Winchendon, and was completed in July 2024.
- Westfield River Levee Multi-Use Path (Westfield, MA) that broke ground in Spring 2024 and will ultimately connect to the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
- Mass Central Rail Trail (Clinton, MA) to fill in a gap in what will ultimately be a 104-mile network from Boston to Northampton when complete, as well as incorporating a new trail head on land purchased with MassTrails funding. This project recently received additional MassTrails grant funding to start construction.
These Trails & Greenways networks often provide an interconnection of different parts of the community, allowing users to travel in a comfortable, stress-free environment. Users don’t have to use on-road bike lanes, shoulders, or shared lanes to get out and invest in their health, exercise, or travel without an automobile.
In addition to assisting clients with the initial MassTrails grant application, our team oversees the implementation of these trails and greenway projects, including design, permitting, bid services, and construction administration.