We’re thrilled to receive another grant for the rail trail! Here’s the press release about the award with all the details:

The Medfield Rail Trail Awarded $100,000 MassTrails Grant

Medfield, Mass. – July 31, 2020 – The Town of Medfield has been awarded $100,000 in MassTrails grants for the creation of the Medfield Rail Trail. The multi-use trail will follow the route of the unused Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rail bed in Medfield, running approximately 1.3 miles from Ice House Road to the Dover Town Line.

The MassTrails grant is part of $4 million allocated to fund design, construction, and maintenance for 55 trail projects throughout the Commonwealth.

The grant was submitted by Town Planner Sarah Raposa and was prepared with the support of the Friends of the Medfield Rail Trail (FMRT) and the Bay Colony Rail Trail Association (BCRTA). In 2018, Medfield was awarded its first grant for $100,000 and has raised more than $70,000 from residents and local businesses to date. With this year’s grant, the total amount raised for the trail is currently $270,000, which provides the funds necessary to complete construction of the main elements of the rail trail (removal of rails and ties, install and grade a gravel subsurface, and install the stone dust surface).

“Now more than ever, Medfield needs outdoor spaces that connect the Town,” said Christian Donner, founder of the Friends of the Medfield Rail Trail. “The Medfield Rail Trail will provide a flat, easy walking, running and biking trail for people of all ages. The trail, along with its connection to the Bay Circuit Trail, opens up safe links to hundreds of acres of town-owned recreation areas, and the former Medfield State Hospital campus.”