Two railroads criss-cross Sudbury.

One is the former Mass. Central Railroad that ran east-west roughly paralleling Route 20. 

Construction costs are highly variable. Factors that make this cost highly variable include the costs of building bridges, highway crossings and other special situations. In general, construction costs of projects constructed in accordance with state and federal standards are estimated to be $1 million per linear mile. In 2006, the Town of Sudbury awarded a contract to the consulting firm Fay, Spofford and Thorndike to carry out an engineering and environmental assessment of the rail trail. FST estimated that the construction cost for a trail on the 4.6-mile EOT-managed section would be about $4 M, depending on the width and type of trail surface. The design cost was estimated at around $550,000.

The projected costs are preliminary, and subject to change. Projected construction costs in Acton have nearly doubled from the estimates made in the preliminary engineering and environmental assessment for that town; these projections are guidelines only.

Under our current understanding of this program, the Town of Sudbury would pay approximately 10% of the total of the costs of the engineering and other preliminary studies, design and construction.

All of the upfront costs through the final design would be the responsibility of the Town of Sudbury. Because design typically represents about 10% of the total cost, Sudbury's share would probably be satisfied by funding the design. Privately raised money can be used toward Sudbury's share. The state will pay up to 10% of the cost and federal transportation funds will pay up to 80%. The costs would include mitigation of the effects of the trail on abutters (e.g., fences or shrubbery)

Constructions costs are those determined in the 100% design. These estimates must under regulation include a contingency allowance to cover overruns during construction. Expenses exceeding these allowable overruns must be born by the local community.

The preliminary engineering and environmental assessment cost $25,000 and was funded at 2005 Sudbury Town Meeting through the CPA. At the 2007 Sudbury Town Meeting, the Town authorized spending an additional $15,000 to verify EOT's title to the right of way north of Crumble Station, $25,000 for a four season wildlife study of the corridor, and $105,000 for a center-line survey and wetlands delineation of the corridor. Only $39,900 has been spent on the survey/delineation; if the Town deems this project has been successfully completed, the unspent remainder will be returned to the CPC for re-allocation.

Additionally, at 2008 Sudbury Town Meeting, the Town authorized spending $420,000 of CPA funds to acquire the CSXT-owned right of way.

The town has the opportunity to consider building a public amenity along a public right of way. It may become part of a regional trail connecting Lowell and Framingham if other towns along the right of way proceed. The Town has indicated in the 2001 Sudbury Master Plan that trails are both desirable and consistent with Town values. If the Town approves, the Town's portion of design and construction expenses could be funded by the Community Preservation Act, which would require no change in the property tax rate.

The Town of Sudbury may decide to fund the rail trail entirely out of local funds, including property taxes, CPA funds and private donations. A second option is the combined use of local, state and federal funds under the federal transportation act. Currently, grants for design of rail trails in the greater Boston metropolitan area may be awarded from the TE (Transportation Enhancements) federal program. These are most commonly awarded for regional project designs, and require adoption of a regional design (upon which Sudbury would assert limited influence.)

Grants for the construction of rail trails may be awarded from the CMAQ (Congestions Mitigation and Air Quality) program. Bicycle and pedestrian projects compete for CMAQ funding with other projects such as intersection realignment and commuter rail parking, which are also aimed at bringing the region into conformity with federal air quality guidelines.

If a lease is negotiated with EOTPW for construction of a rail trail on the section they manage, EOT may set some standards on what is built. EOTPW has not indicated any design restrictions except for a transportation component and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. EOTPW has not yet awarded a lease to any of the towns along the corridor. EOTPW would prefer the local communities complete a 75% or 100% design of the proposed trail first to indicate local commitment. If Sudbury decides to proceed entirely with local funding and can obtain a suitable lease from EOTPW, the Town retains complete control of all other aspects of trail design and construction.

If the trail is built using federal funding, the design, bidding and construction process must conform to state and federal standards. In this case, the Massachusetts Highway Department will manage and contract the project in coordination with the Town of Sudbury and the Federal Highway Administration, and the Town will have less control over the design and construction.

If the trail is to be constructed with partial funding from the Federal transportation act, the Town must commit itself to funding its fraction of the total cost, approximately 10%. The Town's fraction is usually met if the Town pays for all of the steps through the final design. With a completed design and rights to the rail bed, the Town can apply for state and federal construction funding through the regional planning agency, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The next step for Sudbury is a Town-funded 25% design. Each design phase would be followed by a series of hearings. When a final design is completed, the Mass. Highway Department will prepare a request for bids and award the construction contract.

A description of the planning, funding, and construction process can be found in the TIP at http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/3_programs/2_tip/tip.html

The TIP is the "Transportation Improvement Program" which plans, prioritizes, and funds Massachusetts' transportation projects.

The state EOTPW will lease the rail bed to the Town of Sudbury at no cost. The acquisition cost to Sudbury for the CSXT rail bed authorized at 2008 Town Meeting is $420,000.

EOTPW will lease the rail bed to the Town at no cost for transportation purposes. A rail trail is considered a transportation use of the rail bed. Rail trail design must be well underway before EOTPW would consider a lease. Currently, EOTPW has indicated to Acton that the 75% or 100% design must have been completed by the Town to demonstrate local commitment before a lease could be negotiated. The lease would likely require that EOTPW be relieved of any liability for environmental contamination. A mechanism has been set up by which the Town can insure itself against environmental liability. The lease could allow the Town to remove the rails and sell them; however, EOTPW retains the rights to remove or use the rails itself until a lease is formalized.

The rails have a salvage value. CSXT has removed the rails and ties in its section of the trail. If EOTPW agrees to lease the rail bed to Sudbury, EOTPW may allow the Town to remove the rails and sell them. This may yield a net income to the Town depending on the value of the rails and the costs of removal of the rails and ties. Alternatively, the rails may be retained by EOTPW for its own use.

Projections might be made on the basis of the experience in other communities. However, it is difficult to get firm numbers, especially since rail trail maintenance is usually lumped with other public works costs.

The lease agreements would oblige the Town to be responsible for policing. The Town is generally responsible for policing any property within the Town of Sudbury.

The federal transportation act sets aside a certain fraction of the total transportation funds to be used only for transportation improvements that do not involve motorized transportation. A large fraction of the construction costs for rail trails has been federally funded. The Federal funding is specifically designed to encourage alternate transportation--that is, the reduction of automobile traffic.

Massachusetts has recently completed the 2007 State Bicycle Transportation Plan ( see http://www.massbikeplan.org/) describing the state's commitment to bicycle infrastructure. As Secretary Cohen states:

"[The Plan] represents the most complete inventory ever compiled of existing on-road and off-road facilities and projects in the pipeline. Second, it develops a prioritized plan of on- and off-road bicycling improvements in order to implement a statewide bicycling network bound by a single identity. The network will serve to improve multi-modal transportation generally and bicycle transportation specifically."

This plan specifically identifies the east-west corridor in Sudbury (the Wayside Rail Trail) as a high priority corridor. It identifies the north-south line (the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail) south of Chelmsford as a secondary right of way. It should be noted, however, that this is only a plan. There is considerable pressure from towns along the BFRT to proceed with its development. At this time (September, 2008) Acton, Westford, Carlisle and Concord have all submitted to MassHighway 25% designs for their sections of the trail. All of these designs were begun before the 2007 Mass Bike Plan was made public.

This 25 year bicycle plan from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation, made in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, (the principle funding source for bike paths) has the "primary purpose to develop a prioritized plan of on-and off-road bicycling improvements in order to implement a statewide bicycling network."  The Plan encompasses 740 miles of primary and secondary bicycle routes which make up 7 Bay State Greenway Corridors.  The first 10 years of the plan are dedicated to bike plans either currently advertised or funded.

Yes, Phase 1 is listed as funded and advertised for construction. Additional phases are proposed.

No.  Appendix 6 of the Statewide Plan describes the Primary Routes of the 7 corridors in detail. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail through West Concord, Sudbury and Framingham is not described as either a Primary or Long Term Change to a Primary Route.† Only the section currently under construction through Chelmsford, Westford and Carlisle is denoted as a Primary Route that continues into Acton and then travels through Concord Center into Arlington with the eventual terminus being in Boston.

No.  Appendix 7 of the Plan describes the Secondary Routes of the 7 Corridors. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail through West Concord, Sudbury and Framingham is not included as a Secondary Route.