We asked a total of twelve questions and encouraged people to add comments that would be helpful to the Belchertown Rail Trail Committee in designing an improved rail trail for Belchertown. Twenty-nine survey forms were returned. Three additional forms were returned as undeliverable. Our findings were that most abutters liked, used, and had no problems with the Norwottuck Rail Trail. In all cases but one, people's initial support for the trail either remained the same or increased.
Most abutters now support the trail.
There were initially nine people who said they either opposed or strongly opposed the project. Once the trail was built there were only four people who still did not favor it. That means five respondents changed their mind. There was one additional respondent who went from not sure about the trail to supporting it. No one went from initially liking the trail to opposing it.