The first section of the Upper Charles Trail, the Trolley Brook Trail is officially open! This multi-use 0.6 mile long and 10-foot wide paved path is welcome to all!
Trolley Brook trail is a section that spans from Megunko Road to Memorial Drive. It runs through the beautiful wetlands and wooded areas of the Rail Transit District and next to the planned regional YMCA. Funding for the project comes through several sources, including state grants, CPC, and general capital funds. Many thanks to the Upper Charles Trail Committee and Friends of the Upper Charles Trail for their work and vision. While there are a number of boards and committees involved, a special thanks to the Upper Charles Trail Committee- Rob Scherer, Joel Arbeitman, Valerie Paul, David Rosenblum, Preston Crow, Tony Lewis, Chuck Lidz, the Friends of the Upper Charles Trail, the Community Preservation Committee, MassTrails, MAPC, Ramco, BSC, Jenn Ball, Diane Mortensen, the DPW crew, and Peter Matchak for your work creating this beautiful addition to our community.
Thank you to Representative Jack Lewis, Susan Nicholl, and Senate President Karen Spilka for your support.
This trail was an important part of the revisioning of the Rail Transit District. Back in 2000, it was zoned for almost 1000 units of housing, with a small area for commercial. Almost two years of planning and negotiations resulted in a new plan that reduced the housing count to 578 units (with 180 being age-restricted, 44 of which are classified as affordable units), a new regional YMCA on the site, and the protection of 100 acres as open space with a section for the Upper Charles Trail. All of this was triggered by a Town Meeting vote in fall of 2019 to purchase a majority of the property for a net of $4.4 million. Thank you to the residents of Ashland for seeing the potential of this great resource.
