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The rail trail property in Phase 1 is owned by the Massachusetts
Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW).
Project planning was performed by the Central Transportation Planning
Staff (CTPS) and the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG).
The Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) is the project proponent.
The preliminary (25%) design process was managed by the Department of
Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in cooperation with MassHighway and
NMCOG. The final design and construction are managed by MassHighway.
All funding for the Phase 1 design came from State or Federal sources.
Funding for construction is split between Federal (80%) and State (20%)
sources. The Federal portion comes from Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality (CMAQ) funds. The state match ultimately comes from the gas
tax.
Once Phase 1 of the rail trail is completed, the municipalities of
Lowell, Chelmsford, and Westford will be responsible for maintenance
and policing.
The responsibilities of MHD, DCR, and the Municipalities are formalized
in a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated 11 June 1997.
Since the MOA was signed, DEM has become DCR.
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