Back in 2013 a group of Middleton residents got together to look into the feasibility of building a Rail Trail on the old abandoned Essex Rail Road in Middleton. A plan was developed to have the trail run along the old rail bed from the Danvers line along Maple St to the town line at Sharpner’s Pond Road in North Andover. The project was stalled for several years while Middleton Electric Light Department (MELD) bought the lease rights from the Town of Danvers for the portion of the rail bed that runs from Danvers to Essex Street. Now that MELD owns this portion, the planning process for the Middleton Rail trail was reinitiated.

In 2018 the Middleton Rail Trail Committee was revived by another group of residents who chose the name “Middleton Rail Trail Alliance, aka “MiRTA.” The MiRTA is composed of several members from the initial group with additional newer members. MiRTA is now recognized as a 501c charitable organization (E.I.N. 84-1728503). The goal of MiRTA is to develop a strong grassroots effort to build the Rail Trail with little monetary help from the Town of Middleton. More information on MiRTA is available at https://www.middletonrailtrail.org

MiRTA will be responsible for coordinating the project effort by:

• planning for trail access, parking areas, and road crossings;

• creating rules governing use of the trail, amenities and signage;

• raising funds from private and public sources and securing publicly available funding as appropriate.

Once the trail is developed MiRTA will:

• coordinate volunteer efforts for maintaining and improving the public resource;

• develop and maintain an annual budget and work plan.

Phases 1 through 3 of the project have been substantially completed. This is a 2.2 mile stretch heading easterly from Essex Street to the Middleton Town Line. It should be noted, however, that there is a short stretch between Oak Street and Perkins Road, which requires trail users to walk on a narrow sidewalk on Maple Street (Route 62) and cross the bridge over the Ipswich River. The trail entrances at Oak Street and Perkins Road are quite visible from Maple Street.

It should be noted that Danvers recently added a .8 rail trail section, going eastward from the Middleton line to Access Road, near Lahey Outpatient Center.That section is directly accessible by walking eastward on the Middleton Rail Trail from Gregory Street.

Phase 4 will start at the west side of Essex St and continue to Sharpners Pond Road in North Andover. Date TBD.

Middleton Electric Light Department currently owns the leased rights to the stretch of the old rail bed from the Danvers/Middleton town north to Essex Street and has issued a license to the Town of Middleton to use the right of way as an unpaved bicycle/pedestrian walking path for recreational use by the public. National Grid owns the leased rights to the stretch of old rail bed from Essex Street north to the Middleton/North Andover town line.

As mentioned previously, the Middleton Rail Trail is already connected to a .8 mile section of the Danvers Rail Trail, which goes eastward from the Middleton line to Access Road, near Lahey Outpatient Center.

Danvers is working to connect that section to the northwest extension of their rail trail system.Timing for that is TBD. When that section is finished Middleton residents will be connected to a much longer trail network, which includes Peabody, Wenham, Topsfield, Boxford and possibly several other towns.

Middleton Rail Trail surface will not be paved.

• Make a donation

• Purchase a mile marker (to be offered in the future)

• Provide in-kind services

• Attend a monthly MiRTA meeting to learn about current projects.

The goal of MiRTA is to plan, design, create and maintain the trail at no cost to the towns. The non-profit will do this by seeking grants and raising funds privately to support the full range of activities. The towns may choose to cover some maintenance tasks on the trail, and there will be some cost impact to the public works department where the trail encounters road crossings, but the goal is to build the Rail Trail using the least amount of town funds as possible.

MELD and National Grid (the owners of the existing rail bed in Middleton) and the town of Middleton are not liable for accidents on the trail. According to the experience of other rail trails as reported by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, “adjacent landowners are not at risk as long as they abstain from ‘willful and wanton misconduct’ against trespassers such as recklessly or intentionally creating a hazard. Trail managers minimize liability exposure provided they design and manage the trail in a responsible manner and do not charge for trail access.”

• Increased health and wellness resource: a trail gives residents of all ages and physical abilities the chance to exercise and enjoy the outdoors without worrying about noise and dangers of traffic.

• Environmentally friendly transportation: a trail provides a viable, safe and green transportation route.

• Enhanced open space protection: trails preserve and maintain natural settings.

• Stronger civic pride and community identity: trails help to define “livable” towns and connect them to each other; help unite people with varying physical abilities; and aid in preservation of local history.

Extensive research indicates that crime on rail trails is rare. Researchers have thoroughly examined the experience of nearly 400 rail trails in urban, suburban and rural environments throughout the U.S. over more than 30 years. According to this research, there is no evidence that the development of rail trails leads to an increase in crime. In fact, it has been documented that criminal activity on rail trails is significantly lower than the overall rate of crime. In addition to the quantitative data, a number of the research reports present anecdotal information from law enforcement officers on the incidence of crime on the rail-trails. These reports indicate that because rail trails attract activity, they can act to deter crime in areas that were previously isolated. (See https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/rt_safecomm.pdf )

The trail will be open from dawn to dusk. This is the policy with most rail trails.

Once the trail is built, the focus of MiRTA will be on defining ongoing maintenance and funding, and coordinating volunteer efforts to keep it clean, beautiful and usable. For information about how you can help with maintenance, please contact:

Middleton Rail Trail Alliance (MiRTA)

PO Box 821

Middleton MA 01949

Middletonrailtrail@gmail.com

An unplowed trail would be available for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The proposed trail is intended to be used for hiking, walking, running, biking, cross-country skiing, and other non-motorized modes of transit.

No. The trail is open to the public, subject to the rules listed above and elsewhere on this website.

No. In general, motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trail. Emergency vehicles, Town maintenance vehicles, and assistive conveyances (e.g., motorized wheelchairs) and e-bikes are allowed on the trail. Other motorized vehicles are not allowed. If you see someone using an unauthorized motorized vehicle on the trail, please contact the appropriate police dispatch center (non-emergency number).

Use by most motorized vehicles (cars, ATV’s, mopeds, snowmobiles, etc.) is expressly forbidden at any time of the year, with exceptions note below for e-bikes and the disabled.

In the case of devices used by the disabled, the safe and proper use of motorized mobility devices is allowed. These devices are allowed by Federal guidelines for “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government.” A safety flag attached to such a device is recommended for increased visibility. It should have a quiet electric motor to minimize disturbances to wildlife.

Horses are not allowed on the Middleton Rail Trail. With no ill will towards horses or horseback riders, there are several reasons we do not allow horses on the trail, which include: 1) pedestrian/cyclist safety given the narrow width of the trail and trail shoulders, 2) damage to the stone dust trail surface from horse hooves, and 3) clean-up.

15 mph – This is the most standard speed limit on trails across the country.

No

Unlike on the roads, both pedestrian and biker trail users should keep to the right-hand side of the trail.

Dogs are allowed on the trail but must be leashed. Leashes prevent the dogs from disturbing wildlife in wetland areas, disturbing abutters who have chosen to not have fencing installed, and alarming other trail users who may be uncomfortable around dogs. We also ask that you clean up after your pet, so using the trail will be a pleasant experience for everyone.

• Open dawn to dusk

• Be courteous to other trail users

• Stop at ALL stop signs

• Bicyclists should wear safety helmets. State law requires children 16 and younger to wear a helmet while biking.

• Keep to the right; pass on the left

• Use an audible signal when passing

• Look before passing

• Bicyclists yield to pedestrians

• Travel at a safe speed

• Keep pets on a short leash, remove droppings

• When stopping do not block the trail

• Obey all traffic control signs and signals

• No littering — carry in, carry out

• Alcoholic beverages prohibited

• Respect property adjacent to the trail

• No motorized vehicles on the trail except e-bikes and electric wheelchairs

• In case of emergency, dial 911.

Existing parking accommodations are listed on this page of the Middleton Rail Trail website: Middleton Rail Trail Alliance | Middleton MA | Parking. Additional parking opportunities are currently being evaluated and will be added to the website page when available for use.

Most trail users will use designated parking areas. In some cases, parking facilities are designed into the plans. In other cases, nearby municipal facilities already exist or agreements can be negotiated with commercial property owners. Residents often want “No Parking” signs to prevent non-residents from parking in their neighborhood. However, the signs apply to the residents and their guests as well as to others. Consequently, signs should be posted only when it becomes clear that they are needed. Alert your Town officials if parking becomes a persistent issue on your street and request that your Town officials identify additional parking areas to help alleviate the problem. Contact MiRTA for additional assistance with this issue.

Some type of moveable barrier will be installed at entrances in order to prevent unauthorized motor vehicles from entering. These same barriers would allow pedestrian and bicycle access. The barriers are moveable to allow emergency and maintenance vehicles entrance. Trail use rules will be posted at every entrance.

There are currently no public restrooms planned along the trail – plan accordingly.

The finished sections of the trail have warning (aka, dimple) pads and stop signs at all road intersections. There are offset metal gates just before many of the road intersections, as well. Many of the road crossings are striped, much like a standard pedestrian crossing. There are also signs on the road to warn drivers of pedestrian or bike traffic. For particularly dangerous and heavily used intersections, button-activated crossing lights have been installed. .