The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetca ...

Framingham Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Bost ...

and

Natick Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The CRT is a , wide paved

multi-use trail A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. ...

, available for walking, running, biking, rollerblading, and other non-motorized uses. It follows the right-of-way of the disused Saxonville Branch of Boston and Albany Railroad which was

railbanked A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or street ...

. The trail is maintained by the Towns of

and

. The CRT is named after

Lake Cochituate Lake Cochituate is a body of water in Natick, Wayland, and Framingham, Massachusetts, United States. Originally a reservoir serving Boston, it no longer serves that function, and is now a local recreational resource and home to Cochituate Stat ...

, of which it offers scenic views. The CRT runs from Mechanic Street and Whitney Field/Navy Yard in

Natick Center Natick Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Natick, Massachusetts served by the Framingham/Worcester Line. The station, located below grade in a wide cut adjacent to North Main Street ( Route 27), has two side platforms serving the ...

Saxonville Saxonville is a historic mill village located in the north end of the city of Framingham, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 01701. Geography Saxonville is located at 42.3203 degrees N latitude, 71.4404 degrees W longitude. Large areas o ...

in Framingham. The Framingham section was completed in 2015, and the Natick section, including two pedestrian bridges spanning Route 30 and Route 9, was completed in 2021. There is a 0.2 mile spur in Natick named the Wonder Bread Spur in honor of the former ITT Continental Baking

Wonder Bread Wonder Bread is a brand of sliced bread which originated in the United States in 1921 and was one of the first to be sold pre-sliced nationwide in 1930. The brand is currently owned by Flowers Foods in the United States. History The Taggart B ...

factory, now connecting to the

Natick Mall The Natick Mall (previously named the Natick Collection) is a shopping mall in Natick, Massachusetts. The original facility was the first enclosed shopping mall in Greater Boston upon opening in 1966; it was demolished and replaced by a larger ...

. The trail was built to meet the accessibility requirements of the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...

. Three extensions are planned: * The CRT will expand to the

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

Natick Center station Natick Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Natick, Massachusetts served by the Framingham/Worcester Line. The station, located below grade in a wide cut adjacent to North Main Street ( Route 27), has two side platforms serving the ...

when the new rail station is completed, which is expected to be in May 2025. * Natick is designing a connection to Main Street in Natick Center. *

MassDOT The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1, 2009, by the 186th Session of t ...

is designing a path along Route 9 to Hartford and Speen Streets in West Natick known as Lake Cochituate Path; construction is scheduled to begin in 2025. File:Cochituate_Rail_Trail_bridge_over_Route_9_(2),_March_2022.JPG, Bridge over Route 9 in Natick File:Cochituate_Rail_Trail,_Saxonville_MA.jpg, The CRT in Saxonville File:Lake_Cochituate_arch_on_Cochituate_Rail_Trail_(1),_March_2022.JPG, Keyhole arch bridge crossing Lake Cochituate in Natick File:Cochituate_Rail_Trail,_Felchville_MA.jpg, The CRT in Felchville running under the Loker Street pedestrian bridge File:Construction,_Cochituate_Rail_Trail,_Natick_MA.jpg, Construction heading towards Natick Center station

References

External links

{{commons category * https://www.friendsofnaticktrails.org/home/crt Rail trails in Massachusetts Linear parks