McKnight Community Trail
Since 1996, the City of Springfield and multiple interested parties have considered converting the former Highland Division Rail Line into a multi-use trail. In 1997 the City prepared the Master Plan for the Highland Division Railroad. Over the years, various neighborhoods have expressed varying levels of interest in the development of a trail corridor, including the McKnight Neighborhood. In 2010, the McKnight Neighborhood Council continued the momentum of the rail trail concept from Armory Street to State Street by funding The Mason Square Community Rail Trail report, which included a series of recommendations for progressing the development of a trail. In addition to the Mason Square Community Rail Trail Report, multiple other plans and reports have been developed by various interested parties, noting the potential trail corridor throughout Springfield, including the Designing the Arc of Recreation, a Senior Urban Design Studio project by University of Massachusetts dated 2008 and the City-wide Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, draft dated 2014.