There exists a vibrant regional & national movement to transform abandoned rail corridors into places of healthy, scenic and safe community recreation -- below are but a few examples of rail trails and other shared-use recreational paths which are inspiring Groveland's Open Space and Trails Committee in its efforts.
Groveland will be inspired by the efforts of others
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Local and regional trails:
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Border to Boston Trail -- Northeastern Massachusetts, 28 miles connecting Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Georgetown, Boxford, Topsfield, Wenham, and Danvers
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Georgetown Recreational Path -- Georgetown, Massachusetts
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Danvers Rail Trail -- Danvers, Massachusetts
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Salisbury Coastal Trails -- Salisbury, Massachusetts
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Clipper City Rail Trail and Harbor Walk -- Newburyport, Massachusetts
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Topsfield Rail Trail -- Topsfield, Massachusetts
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Independnece Greenway -- Peabody, Massachusetts
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Bruce Freeman Trail -- Eastern Massachusetts, 25 miles connecting Lowell, Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury, and Framingham
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Bradford Rail Trail -- Haverhill, Massachusetts
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Methuen Rail Trail -- Methuen, Massachusetts
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Merrimack River Trail -- Eastern Massachusetts, proposed to stretch over 40 miles and run through 17 communities from Lowell to Newburyport
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Cape Cod Rail Trail -- Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 22 miles connecting Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet
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Minuteman Bikeway-- Eastern Massachusetts, 11 miles connecting Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge
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Trails in other states:
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Dequindre Cut Greenway -- Detroit, Michigan
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Old Plank Road Trail -- Northeastern Illinois
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Rock Island Trail -- Central Illinois
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Virginia Creeper Recreation Trail -- western Virginia
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Prominent non-profits promoting rail trail and other recreational path development:
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Essex National Heritage Commission: a nonprofit steward of the Congressionally-designated Essex National Heritage Area (Essex County). Its mission is to preserve and enhance the historic, cultural and natural resources of Essex County for the benefit of all who live, work and visit the Area.
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For over a decade Essex Heritage has worked collaboratively with community leaders and organizations such as MVPC, MassDOT, National Grid and the National Park Service to expedite the development of the region’s network of shared-use paths and other bicycle and pedestrian initiatives.
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Merrimack Valley Planning Commission: headquartered in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the MVPC's mission is to foster a cooperative effort among local communities with respect to transportation and other planning efforts.
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Rails to Trails Conservancy: the leading national non-profit for rail trail advocacy, whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.
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