The Valley will soon be home to another world class path for walking and bicycle riding. Last year, Chicopee, Massachusetts created a path for recreation and non-motorized commuting. Soon it will extend the riverside path by more than a mile, at a cost of about $1.4 million, almost all of which will be paid for by the federal government.

"The Chicopee River Canal Park was only the start of what will be an almost 2.5 mile trail along the Chicopee River," Mayor Michael Bissonnette told the Valley Post. People will be able to use the pathway starting this spring; the project should be done in 2013, he said.

Chicopee is home to around 55,000 people. It’s between Holyoke and Springfield. The path will go along the river and to the library.

City council member Jean Croteau told the Valley Post, "The river divides the city of Chicopee but we’ve had very little access to the river. This will provide access.”