Senator Eldridge Announces $50,000 MassTrails Grant to Southborough’s Construction of Peninsula Trail Accessible Connections
Image courtesy of Southborough Trails Committee
Grant will allow economic and recreational benefits and improve walkability and connectivity
Southborough, MA– Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) is pleased to announce a MassTrails grant in the amount of $50,000 to the town of Southborough, for the development and construction of a 1.6-mile section of Boroughs Loop/Aqueduct trail near Fayville Dam, also known as the Peninsula Trail. In January, Senator Eldridge and former Representative Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) wrote a letter of support to the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
The project aims to expand recreational resources and opportunities for residents and the broader community. An accessible connecting trail will educate trail visitors by sharing Southborough’s history and culture and enhance awareness about the importance of protecting and managing forest resources.
The MassTrails program is a matching grant, requiring towns of application to provide a minimum of 20% of the total project cost. The funding from this grant builds upon existing efforts to strengthen community engagement and enhance environmental awareness.
“I am pleased to hear about the successful application by the Southborough Trails Committee. With former State Representative Carolyn Dykema, I voiced my support at the beginning of the town’s application process to the MassTrails program,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “The grant awarded to this important project will bring much-needed updates to the local and regional trails network. I extend my gratitude to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their support and approval.”
The MassTrails Grant Program is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) capital budget, and from the motor fuel excise tax on off-road vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Surface Transportation Act, in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
All MassTrails Grant Program applications are reviewed in consultation with an inter-agency MassTrails Team and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB). The program provides important funding for project development, design, and construction of shared-use pathways, which facilitate connections to where people live, work, and recreate.
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