ATHOL – At a recent Select Board meeting, Planning and Development Director Eric Smith provided an update on the ongoing development of the Rabbit Run Rail Trail.
The trail, once completed, would run 6.2 miles from the New Salem border to downtown Athol. The proposed bike/pedestrian trail generally follows the rail bed of the old Athol & Enfield Railroad, which came to be known as the Rabbit Line. The railroad was discontinued in the 1930s with the development of the Quabbin Reservoir.
Smith provided examples of sites where the rail bed could be improved, but because some are private property or environmentally sensitive, the cost could be prohibitive.
“Likely, what we’ll have to do is come up with an alternative route, such as a bike path/pedestrian sidewalk parallel to South Athol Road, to make the continuous trail possible,” he said at the Sept. 22 meeting.
Phase 1 of the Rabbit Run Rail Trail stretches about a mile from the town-owned Bidwell Property located off South Athol Road, south to the area of Thrower Road, South Athol Road, and Route 2. Smith told the board that engineering and design for work on that stretch of the trail was completed last year by the firm of Howard Stein Hudson.
“The final, updated cost estimate for Phase 1 final design plans were received by the town of Athol in June 2025 with a cost estimate of $2.2 million to complete Phase 1,” Smith said. “As the town moved forward with an application to the Mass Trails Grant (MTG) program, we received an updated Phase 1 construction estimate that showed an increase to over $2.7 million due to inflation considerations.
The town submitted a Mass Trails Grant application in February, seeking funds to move ahead with construction. However, Smith added that “On May 26, 2026, the town of Athol learned our Mass Trails Grant application towards the Phase 1 construction was not awarded. The challenge of trying to fund the full build out of Phase 1 remains and we are looking into alternative funding sources.”
On a positive note, Smith did say that development of a portion of the rail trail was made possible “by a donation of 4.2 acres by Bill O’Brien, a very generous offer. Bill owns the property immediately south of the Bidwell property.”
Despite some setbacks, Smith indicated that he and the town’s Open Space and Recreation Commission remain committed to the development of the trail.
To that end, and looking beyond Phase I, Smith said he had learned of a MassDOT technical assistance program known as the Local Early-Stage and Actionable Planning (LEAP) Program, which offers an opportunity for some further preliminary engineering and design assistance.
Smith said he reviewed the program with the Open Space & Recreation Review Committee, which voted in support of trying to connect downtown Athol to the Bidwell property as the next priority of the project. He told the board he had applied for LEAP program funding in early fall of 2025.
“Although it has taken some time for the LEAP planning process to start,” he reported, “MassDOT is awarding this technical assistance to the Town of Athol. We should be expecting to have this project startup sometime soon. Further updates and discussions will take place at upcoming Open Space and Recreation Review Committee meetings.”
According to the state website, “The MassDOT LEAP Program offers up to $100,000 per project to help Massachusetts municipalities.”
Anyone interested in more information on the proposed Rabbit Run Rail Trail can visit https://www.athol-ma.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Proposed-Rabbit-Run-Trail-4.