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During the Wednesday, November 19 meeting of the Sudbury Rail Trails Advisory Committee (RTAC), the committee discussed horses on Sudbury rail trails.
With several members of the horse community present and providing public comment, RTAC heard about the long history of horses using Sudbury’s trails before the rail trail was built. The primary focus for those present to represent the horse community was the Mass Central Rail Trail, which connects to Hop Brook, Memorial Forest and Hudson.
Later in the discussion, Chair John Drobinski explained that Sudbury only has jurisdiction over the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, while the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation has the final say on the Mass Central Rail Trail in Sudbury. With regard to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, it was explained that the communities north of Sudbury on the BFRT have already prohibited horses, so a prohibition in Sudbury would make it consistent with other communities on the trail.
Members of the horse community made it clear that their primary interest was preserving access to the Mass Central Rail Trail, and that many other communities on the Mass Central already permitted horses.
Glenn Pransky made a motion to “advise the Select Board to prohibit horses on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Sudbury.” The motion passed unanimously. No action was taken regarding the Mass Central Rail Trail.