Trail Benefits

The trail will provide easy access for residents in Milford, Hopkinton, Holliston and Sherborn to visit Ashland's attractions and for us to enjoy their offerings.

  • Hopkinton State Park, the majority of which is in Ashland

  • Ashland MBTA train station (via spur)

  • Downtown Ashland and Stone Park (via spur)

  • Ashland Middle School

  • Ashland State Park

  • Ashland High School

  • Route 126 and Market Basket Plaza

  • Dike Trail to Sherborn

Within Ashland the trail will connect the following destinations:

Towns with multi-use trails have discovered countless benefits for residents of all ages.

Multi-use trails help to…

  • Bring the residents together and build a sense of community

  • Improve public health through physical activity

  • Create accessible recreational opportunities that are convenient, local and inexpensive

  • Provide safe modes of transportation for individuals who don’t drive, including students and senior citizens

  • Encourage an appreciation of nature with minimal environmental impact

  • Attract visitors and businesses to town

  • Reduce reliance on automobiles, resulting in less traffic, gasoline use and air pollution

  • Increase property values for residents who live on or near the trail

Additional resources and information:

For more information on trail benefits and impacts, the following documents from Headwater Economics summarize some of the existing research in the following areas:

This PDF from Rails to Trails summarizes the results from a recent survey of suburban bike trail users.