Trail Conversion Exposes Boston Area's Hidden Infrastructure

Where the Boston area's water supply once gushed, pedestrians and bikes will now flow thanks to a plan to repurpose the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's aqueducts as public spaces.

1 minute read

July 16, 2013, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


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"Plans are moving forward to open public trails atop old aqueducts that snake through open space in 14 communities between Clinton and Boston," reports Ellen Ishkanian.

"Since state officials first unveiled the plans just over a year ago, 'no trespassing' signs that were posted along the out-of-service MWRA aqueducts are coming down and slowly being replaced with new trail markers that authorize public, nonmotorized recreational use. The change opens new venues for walking, hiking, jogging, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing."

“This is huge,” said Frederick Laskey, executive director of the MWRA. “There’s a whole hidden infrastructure . . . that is being opened up for people to use.”

Sunday, July 14, 2013 in The Boston Globe

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