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Governor Lamont Announces $9 Million in State Grants To Plan, Build, Expand, and Improve 50 Recreational Trails Across Connecticut [[link removed]]
Posted on May 15, 2023
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced that approximately $9 million in state grants are being released through the Connecticut Recreational Trails Program [[link removed]] to plan, build, expand, and improve a total of 50 multi-use trails across Connecticut.
The program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Funding for this grant round was allocated by the State Bond Commission in July 2022. Governor Lamont serves as chairman of the commission.
“I am thrilled to announce funding for these 50 projects, which will improve and expand recreational trail opportunities around Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “The incredible response to this grant round shows the high demand for outdoor recreation in our state. Our residents and visitors continue to explore state parks, forests, and municipal open spaces and land trust preserves at record levels.”
DEEP has seen demand for outdoor recreation increase dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Annual visits to locations in the Connecticut State Parks and Forests [[link removed]] system reached an estimated 17 million in 2022 – a 75% increase from pre-pandemic visitation levels of between 9 and 10 million in 2019. Additionally, the economic value of hiking, climbing, and tent camping increased by 50% from 2019 to 2021. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the value of outdoor recreation in 2021 contributed nearly $4 billion to the state and supported more than 40,000 jobs.
“These projects are timely and will improve our state’s connectivity and accessibility to open space, which benefits our residents and visitors physically and mentally, enhances our state’s outdoor economy, and makes our state such an attractive place to live,” Commissioner Dykes said. “Investing in projects that support sustainable commuting opportunities, that reduce pollution from transportation, and provide safe, enjoyable alternatives to car travel are the type of projects we’d love to see in more communities across the state. My thanks to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for supporting these important investments in our state-wide trail systems.”
A total of 28 of the awarded projects are within or serve Connecticut’s distressed municipalities and environmental justice communities, improving equitable access to outdoor recreation. Many of the awarded projects are bicycle paths that can support both commuting and recreation, including Naugatuck Greenway Projects in Naugatuck, Ansonia, Thomaston, Waterbury, and the Greenwich-Stamford multi-use path, among others. The grant money can be allocated for a wide variety of purposes, including planning, design, land acquisition, construction, construction administration, and publications for bikeways, walkways, and greenways, as well as for equipment and trail amenities, such as parking lots, toilet buildings, signs, and benches.
The Connecticut Greenways Council [[link removed]] assisted DEEP with the competitive grant selection process. Funding for program administration of 5%, pursuant to state statutes, is also included in the grants. DEEP anticipates most of the awarded projects being completed by 2026.
The following is a list of projects receiving grants under this round:
Connecticut Recreational Trails Program
May 2023 Grant Round
Applicant
Project Title
Project Type
Grant Funding
Borough of Naugatuck
Naugatuck River Greenway Trail - Phase II
Planning/Design
$352,800
Branford Land Trust
Branford Land Trust Handicap Accessible Braille and Sensory Trail
Planning/Design
$15,000
City of Bristol
Bristol Recreational Trails Grant Planning
Planning/Design
$320,000
City of Hartford
Keney Park Trail Connectivity
Planning/Design, Outreach, Education
$186,320
City of Meriden
Brookside Park to Giuffrida Park Multi-Use Trail
Planning/Design
$179,000
City of Shelton
Shelton Housatonic Riverwalk
Planning/Design
$113,000
City of Torrington
Red Mountain Trail Design and Construction - Torrington, CT
Planning/Design, Construction, Amenities
$396,100
City of Waterbury
Waterbury Naugatuck River Greenway Trail Mad River Spur Design
Planning/Design, Outreach
$390,000
City of West Haven
Hubbard Park Interpretive Trail
Planning/Design, Construction
$26,196
City of West Haven
Plainfield Community Trailway Project
Planning/Design, Construction
$32,020
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
CT Forest and Park Association Public Engagement and Stewardship
Planning/Design, Construction, Maintenance, Education, Equipment, Outreach
$445,412
Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development
12 Town Airline State Park Trail Regional Association Formation & Marketing
Planning/Design, Amenities, Publications, Outreach
$75,000
Friends of the Litchfield Community Greenways, Inc.
Litchfield Greenway - Phase 4 - Bantam Connection
Planning/Design, Construction, Amenities
$241,125
Goodwin University
Goodwin University Trails Expansion – Phase VI
Planning/Design Construction, Maintenance
$123,204
Hop River Trail Alliance (Town of Coventry Fiduciary)
Hop River State Park Trail Signage and Wayfinding
Amenities, Publications, Outreach
$44,793
Newtown Bridle Lands Association Inc.
Improving Multi Use Access to Newtown Trails
Planning/Design, Construction, Maintenance, Amenities
$44,080
Parks & Point with DEEP Outreach & Education
Words from the Trails: Poetry and Nonfiction Inspired by Connecticut’s Recreational Trails
Education, Publication
$13,840
Riverfront Recapture, Inc.
Hartford and East Hartford Riverwalk Trail Counting Initiative
Equipment, Amenities
$66,800
Shoreline Greenway Trail
Shoreline Greenway Trail Extension in Hammonasset State Park
Planning/Design
$120,000
Town of Ansonia
Naugatuck River Greenway (Ansonia Riverwalk)
Planning/Design
$272,000
Town of Canton
Extension of Farmington River Rail Trail, East, Additional Design Funds
Planning/Design
$60,000
Town of East Haddam
Lower Connecticut River Valley Heritage Trail/ Bike Path - East Haddam
Planning/Design, Outreach
$32,000
Town of East Hampton
Air Line Trail Gap Phase 4
Planning/Design, Construction
$404,800
Town of Greenwich (Stamford as Partner)
Greenwich-Stamford Multi-Use Path
Planning/Design
$270,400
Town of Manchester
Hop River Trail Extension to Cheney Trail
Construction
$440,000
Town of New Hartford
New Hartford Multi-Use Trail Phase 1
Planning/Design, Construction
$616,000
Town of Newington
Newington Greenway Expansion
Planning/Design
$75,000
Town of Newtown
Al's Trail Greenway Feasibility Study
Planning/Design
$80,000
Town of Norfolk - Rails to Trails
Proposed North Brook Trail Section
Planning/Design, Construction
$399,725
Town of Old Lyme
Multi-purpose Trail and Bridge at Lieutenant River
Planning/Design
$28,500
Town of Oxford
Rockhouse Adaptive Trail Network
Planning/Design, Construction, Equipment, Amenities
$278,500
Town of Plainfield
Kate Downing Rd Open Space
Planning/Design
$10,000
Town of Preston
Poquetonuck Cove and Village Heritage Trail
Planning/Design, Construction
$59,400
Town of Putnam
Air Line Trail Connection and Improvements Project
Planning/Design, Construction, Maintenance, Publications, Outreach
$175,000
Town of Thomaston
Naugatuck River Greenway
Planning/Design
$150,000
Town of Thompson
Thompson, CT - STILL More Than Just a Train Wreck
Construction, Amenities
$457,500
Town of Watertown
Naugatuck River Greenway - Frost Bridge Rd. to Branch Brook, Watertown
Planning/Design
$299,935
Town of Wethersfield
Heritage Way Trail Improvements at Cove Park
Planning
$95,000
Town of Wilton
Norwalk River Valley Trail – WII Walk Extension
Construction
$243,000
Town of Winchester
Mad River Recreation Area Phase 1
Construction
$60,000
Town of Wolcott
Scovill (Mill Pond Way) Trail Improvements
Planning/Design, Construction, Maintenance, Equipment, Amenities
$72,000
Trust for Public Land
Mono Pond State Park Master Plan
Planning/Design
$76,725
University of Connecticut
UConn Connecticut Trails Program
Education, Outreach
$392,724
Wyndham Land Trust
Parking for Bull Hill Preserve
Planning/Design, Construction, Outreach
$24,000
Mooween State Park
Mooween Trail Parking Lot
Construction
$120,000
Harkness Memorial State Park
Harkness Boardwalk Renovation
Construction
$16,000
George Waldo State Park
Improve Access to Housatonic River
Construction
$23,090
Bennett's Pond State Park
Green Trail Restoration
Maintenance
$34,125
Kettletown State Park
Boardwalk Replacement
Construction
$16,000
Statewide Trail Systems
Statewide Trail Maintenance & Materials
Maintenance, Equipment
$120,000
Read on CT.gov [[link removed]]
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