Governor Maura Healey today celebrated a $64,700 state grant to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) to help advance the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion, building on a $17.3 million federal award secured last year for the transformative Western Massachusetts project.
FFIO Director Quentin Palfrey joined several Western Massachusetts leaders, including State Representative John Barrett and BRPC Executive Director Laura Brennan in Adams to highlight the award and the broader Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion. As part of the event, Palfrey and local leaders participated in a bike ride from the Adams Visitor Center to the existing terminus of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail traces its origins back to 1845 when the Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad first developed the corridor. Originally intended to connect the Housatonic Railroad north to Vermont, it evolved over nearly 150 years through multiple corporate hands—including the Boston and Albany and the New York Central Railroads—serving as a vital commercial branch for local limestone operations and mills. The tracks were officially abandoned in 1990, prompting a community-led push to convert the historic right-of-way into a recreational asset. The initial 9.8-mile segment of the trail officially opened to the public in 2001, transforming the abandoned rail bed between Lanesborough and Adams into a highly anticipated recreational path.
In 2025, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion – also known as the A2A Project – received a $17.3 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to support the design of a 9.3-mile shared-use path connecting the existing Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to the Williamstown Mohican Path. The proposed route will travel through downtown North Adams and the MASS MoCA campus, creating new connections between communities and expanding the region’s network for walking and biking.
For more information, and to download trail maps, visit the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail page on Mass.gov
