Lost Villages Scenic Byway
Lost Villages Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan
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Lost Villages Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Maps
The Lost Villages Scenic Byway is a 29-mile stretch of Route 122 through an area of Worcester County in Central Massachusetts. It starts in Petersham and runs southeasterly through Barre, Oakham, Rutland, and Paxton, concluding at the Worcester city line. This stretch of roadway was designated as a Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration under its National Scenic Byway Program. As part of this designation a grant was provided to the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission to develop a Corridor Management Plan. Each of the five towns along the Byway appointed members to an advisory committee that oversaw the preparation of this Plan, which can now be accessed using the link at the top of this page. Hard copies of this report are being sent out to all of the communities along the Byway, as well as to federal, state, and regional agencies, Advisory Committee members, legislators, and others.
This project involved conducting an inventory and analysis of the Byway's historical, archeological, natural, cultural, recreational and scenic qualities, performing public outreach and goal setting, and, finally, establishing a set of recommendations aimed at preserving and enhancing these resources. The next phase of this project will involve the establishment of an implementation committee to begin prioritizing the recommendations and researching available funding.
What is the FHWA National Scenic Byway Program?
A Source of Funding for Management Plans: The Program allows communities along a Byway to plan amenities for the roadway in an integrated and comprehensive approach. CMPRC has obtained a grant to prepare the management plan for the Route 122 Scenic Byway and this process has just begun.
A Source of Funding for Byway Enhancements: Once a Scenic Byway Management Plan has been prepared, the communities along the Byway can apply for funding to construct the physical improvements recommended in the Plan. Thus, the true nature of the Scenic Byway Program is similar to an enhancement program. Routine roadway maintenance and reconstruction are not eligible for implementation funds; rather, implementation money is most often used for improvement projects such as: improving links to nearby recreation areas, installation of historic markers, town common improvements, off-road parking areas, informational kiosks, scenic vista preservation, etc.
What the Program Is Not:
This program has absolutely no impact on private property rights. The program is not at all akin to a local Scenic Road designation that can impose restrictions on private lands abutting a scenic road – such as tree removal or altering stonewalls. The Scenic Byway Program is simply another avenue for obtaining funds for improvement projects along the roadway, one based on a management plan that has been informed through significant public participation.