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Discover more about Plan for Ashuelot Rail Trail: A Pilot Project
Plan Components
Plan for Ashuelot Rail Trail without appendices (PDF)
Appendix A - Existing Conditions Technical Memos (PDF)
Appendix B - Public Outreach Technical Memos (PDF)
Appendix C - Project Advisory Committee Meeting Agendas & Minutes (PDF)
Implementation Plan Interactive Map
Implementation Plan Spreadsheet (Excel)
Overview
Rail trails have long been recognized as a way to improve local and regional opportunities related to transportation, recreation, economic development, and public health. A variety of individuals and groups take on maintenance of rail trails, and they are enjoyed routinely by residents and visitors alike. Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC) sees value in developing a plan which addresses the future of our region's rail trails.
Plan for Ashuelot Rail Trail is a planning effort aimed to address challenges and opportunities along the approximately 21.5-mile stretch of trail between Hinsdale and Keene, New Hampshire. The project will involve collecting data on existing trail use, conditions and amenities and conducting meetings among municipalities and other stakeholders to both share information and consider maintenance, connectivity, safety, and coordinated improvement to the trail. We hope that the project will result in a common vision for Ashuelot Rail Trail to better inform volunteer groups, local government and regional and statewide transportation planning.
Meetings and Outreach
Project Advisory Committee Meeting #1 (May 3, 2018)
Map Posters: Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, Hinsdale
Project Advisory Committee Meeting #2 (September 13, 2018)
Open House (November 17, 2018)
Historical Maps Presentation Board
Ashuelot Branch Railroad Valuation Sheets
Project Advisory Committee Meeting #3 (August 29, 2019)
Draft Vision, Goals and Objectives Memo
Project Advisory Committee Meeting #4 (October 17, 2019)
Draft Plan and Implementation Plan Memo
Draft Plan (Adobe PDF version)
Project Advisory Committee Meeting #5 (December 17, 2019)
Minutes
Existing Conditions Assessment Technical Memos
- Literature Review - Inventory of existing trail-related plans, policies, laws, or other documents.
- Base Mapping/Inventory - Synopsis of trail-related mapping activities. Accompanied by a trail map booklet.
- Bicycle/Pedestrian Collisions - Inventory of recent vehicle crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists at or near roadway trail crossings.
- Bicycle/Pedestrian Counts - Overview of bicycle and pedestrian counting activities conducted to date and summary of collected data.
- Trail Condition Assessment - Summary of methods and findings from a trails condition assessment conducted by Keene State College students, in consultation with SWRPC, municipal staff and others.
- Programs Analysis - An inventory of recent or ongoing programming that makes use of the Ashuelot Rail Trail, a review of example on-trail programming taking place in other areas of the country and an overview of academic and professional literature regarding the health benefits of active recreation and on-trail programs.
- Economic Benefit Analysis - High-level analysis and literature review covering types of economic benefits, relevant studies and methodologies to consider as part of a more detailed study or data collection initiative.
- Policy Integration - Analysis of municipal complete streets policies and complete streets planning and design guidelines.
Public Outreach Technical Memos
- Online Resident Survey - Analysis of results from the online resident survey.
- Municipal Survey - Summary of responses from municipal staff and officials focusing on information relative to plans for improvements, needs, promotion, land use issues, previous planning and more.
- Key Stakeholder Group Survey - Summary of responses from an online survey sent to organized user groups covering a range of trail-related issues.
- Intercept Survey - Summary of data collected from in-person surveys with trail users conducted in each of the four communities.
- Open House - Description of open house activities and implementation, along with compilation of collected input.
Maps
Plan for Ashuelot Rail Trail Locator Map (SWRPC)
Rail Trails in New Hampshire (New Hampshire Department of Transportation)
Other Resources
Funding Resources Supplement Handout
Plan for Ashuelot Rail Trail: A Pilot Project Handout (February 2018)
New Hampshire State Trails Plan (New Hamphsire Department of Transportation)
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension "Downtowns & Trails" webpage
Videos
"Ashuelot Rail Trail Bike Ride Series #2 - Keene State College to Pine Street in Swanzey" (Greg Pregent)
"Ashuelot Rail Trail Bike Ride Series #9 - West Swanzey to Winchester NH Depot" (Greg Pregent)
"Ashuelot Rail Trail Bike Ride Series #5 - Winchester NH to the Hinsdale NH Depot" (Greg Pregent)
"Rail Trails of America" (Timothy Lawrence)
Contact Information
For additional information, contact:
Henry Underwood, GIS Specialist/Planner
Southwest Region Planning Commission
37 Ashuelot Street
Keene, NH 03431
603-357-0557