We are disappointed to report that officials of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) have verbally informed us and town officials that the little-used Falmouth Secondary rail line will NOT be removed at this time. MassDOT's explanation, with which we strenuously disagree, is that it will be less expensive and take less time to build a pathway with the track than by removing the track and using the railbed for the trail. Every feasibility study done to date has confirmed that rail-to-trail is a far less expensive option.

As removal of the track was the sole condition to availability of the $20 million in federal funds secured for this project by Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA), the CCRTA is now redeploying those funds for other purpose(s).

In addition to the loss of that critical funding, the decision to retain the track means that the only way this project can go forward at this time is with a rail-with-trail design. It has long been the conviction of the FBRT as well as its key supporters--including Congressman Bill Keating, the late Tom Cahir, CCRTA administrator, and the Bourne Select Board--that the only realistic way for the pathway to be built is as rail-to-trail. This is best evidenced by the $10.1 million price tag for the half-mile rail-with-trail Phase 1 proposed by MassDOT.

Despite this setback, we remain fully committed to doing everything in our power to extend he Shining Sea Bikeway by creating the Bourne Rail Trail. Thanks to all of you who have supported this effort since as far back as 2016. 

Back to the good work!

Board of Directors,
Friends of the Bourne Rail Trail

The Friends of the Bourne Rail Trail is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing a multi-use pathway to the Town of Bourne. Once complete, the trail will fill the 6.5 mile “gap” between the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway and the Shining Sea Bikeway, connecting the towns of Sandwich, Bourne, and Falmouth, and creating 24 miles of uninterrupted multi-use pathway on the Upper Cape. Since the establishment of the Friends in 2016, there has been tremendous support for the project from local residents, elected officials, and regional planning and transit authorities.

The Friends have long promoted the construction of a “rail-to-trail” pathway, with the removal of the Falmouth Secondary and placement of the path in its stead. Until now, the Town has planned for a “rail-with-trail,” where the path is built alongside the track. In March 2023, the Select Board voted unanimously to pivot to the “rail-to-trail” approach. If Commonwealth officials concur, the development of the project will be accelerated by decades at a significantly reduced cost.

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