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The long-awaited Pittsfield leg of the rail is set to begin construction this spring from the Lanesborough parking area.

Construction Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Extension to Pittsfield Begins

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County's rail trail will continue into Pittsfield in the next year and then through South County in the future.

In mid-December, construction began on the extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail that will connect Adams to Pittsfield.

This 1.56-mile extension will run south from the vicinity of mall Connector Road to Crane Avenue. The trail will be a 10 feet-wide, paved, shared-use path that is part of the trail system that currently runs nearly 13 miles through Lanesborough to Lime Street in Adams.

The trail extension currently under design will travel along Route 8 for several hundred feet and then around the boundaries of Unistress Construction yard. It will then go back up to the former Housatonic Railroad rail bed and at that point will stay on the old rail bed straight down to Crane Avenue.

The rail right of way was recently acquired by the state and is now under the control of the state Department of Transportation. The trail will be completely off-roadway and will cross the Connector Road and the access road to the Berkshire County House of Correction at grade.

It will come out at John's Building Supply at 1 Crane Ave. and there will be a new parking lot and restrooms constructed on the southern side of the street.  

The trail is maintained by the state Department of Conversation and Recreation. The goal is to connect the county through the rail trail; a Williamstown section is out to bid and a one-mile North Adams leg is still in the planning stage.  

This past fall, Maximilian Industries of Pittsfield was awarded the Pittsfield project.


"We were pleased that a local company received the award, in constructing this mile and a half extension to Crane Avenue," said Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath.

Construction was aimed to begin earlier in 2020, but there were general project delays such as the novel coronavirus pandemic. The construction bid price was $2,249,421.85 and the Notice to Proceed contract is dated Nov. 15.

McGrath said the city has worked through those challenges and really wanted to get this project out to bid on the timeframe that the commonwealth had specified.

This is anticipated to be a yearlong construction project, meaning that trailgoers may get to use the extension next spring.

“We recognize people's desires to be outdoors," McGrath said. "Not only during the pandemic but just generally, there's a lot of support for the bike path.”

This trail extension project is the result of many years of planning for a bike and pedestrian trail in Pittsfield that uses the former Housatonic Railroad corridor track. It is the northern section of an overall city plan for continuing the trail south through Pittsfield to Lenox and then through the rest of Berkshire County.

The extension has been in the works for nearly nine  years. In 2012, the city had made a pitch for construction funding but did not secure it. The state then followed shortly after with a $2.5 million allocation through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program for it.

The next phase of work after the completion of the Pittsfield extension will be to extend the trail farther into the city.

“The idea is that this bike path continues straight through the Berkshires,” McGrath said. “It connects from Pittsfield to Lenox and through Stockbridge and to Great Barrington, that’s the long-range vision that this is a county bike path.”


Tags: Ashuwillticook Rail Trail,   

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Elder Services Marks 50 Years of Service to Aging Population

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Executive Director Chris McLaughlin reflects on the agency's growth over the past half century.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elder Services of Berkshire County has assisted the aging local population for 50 years, growing exponentially from its roots with three employees on Wendell Avenue.

Hundreds gathered at the Country Club of Pittsfield on Friday for the agency's annual meeting. 

"We have been very busy since the last time we got together and we have a lot to celebrate ... For 50 years, Elder Services has been providing services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers throughout Berkshire County," Executive Director Chris McLaughlin said

"Today, we are a $28 million organization supported by 140 employees and 260 active volunteers, working with community partners and our home care providers to provide support and services to the residents of the cities and towns throughout Berkshire County."  

Over the summer, the agency moved into a modern, more accessible office at 73 South Church St. (the Clock Tower building.)  Formerly the Wayfair call center, the two-story workplace offers a street-level entrance for those with mobility issues — compared to the fourth-floor office at 877 South St.

Mayor Peter Marchetti is glad to see Elder Services downtown.

"The downtown not only hosts a variety of places to eat, shop, and play but also it is the heart of our human and social service agencies to prioritize meeting people where they're at," he said.

"As many of you know, Elder Services recently moved into the Clock Tower building. I applaud Chris and the entire team for a space that will be more accessible to the people you serve. It is vital that our residents have access to social service agencies and organizations so they can access the services and programs that impact daily life. Thank you for choosing downtown as your home, and we are happy to welcome you there again."

Since a commercial kitchen was established in 1994, the agency has served more than 7 million meals to isolated or homebound Berkshire County residents.  

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