In an effort to expand trail access, the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) applied for and received a 2021 MassTrails Grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to create an Inclusion and Accessibility Trail Guide. This guide will serve as a toolkit to assess and improve knowledge, accessibility, and utilization of trails across Southern Worcester County. Through the development and implementation of a trails assessment toolkit across communities in the region focusing on youth engagement and healthy aging, this project aims to increase outdoor recreational opportunities for all populations. 

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The proposed Inclusion and Accessibility Trail Guide will consider youth engagement and healthy aging. Developing a youth engagement and healthy aging trail analysis will begin by enlisting help, guidance, and expertise from various partners. These partners may include school representatives, Safe Routes to School, the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, AARP, Council on Aging (COA) Directors, senior housing facility directors, other youth organization representatives, representatives from the senior community, representatives from the disabled community, and low-income or minority organization representatives. Once these partners are identified, CMRPC and the group of partners will host a series of meetings to develop a criteria and strategy for the trail analysis. The criteria may include identifying trails within the community, within proximity to schools, within proximity to low-income neighborhoods, within proximity to senior centers, senior housing facilities, libraries, or within Environmental Justice or culturally diverse population areas. In addition, the number and design of benches, wayfinding, and transportation to and from a trail might also be specified in the criteria. After the criteria is developed, CMRPC will work with representatives from communities in the region to select trails for evaluation and surveys. Following the completion of the trail assessment surveys, CMRPC will utilize the data to identify areas in need of trails or trail in need of upgrades to make them more accessible. In addition, CMRPC will identify a potential area where an Age-Friendly Trail could be constructed or updated.

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Other objectives of this Inclusion and Accessibility Trail Guide project may include piloting a youth trail stewarship program, developing age-friendly trail maps, and hosting trail walking events. Please check back here as we continue to make progress on this effort.

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