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Governor Lamont Announces $10 Million in State Grants for Recreational Trails Across Connecticut [[link removed]]
Posted on June 3, 2024
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced the release of a series of grants totaling $10 million that will support the planning, building, expansion, and improvement of 45 multi-use trails located in towns and cities throughout Connecticut.
The grants are being awarded through Connecticut Recreational Trails Grant Program [[link removed]], which is administered by DEEP. Funds to support the grants were approved by the State Bond Commission at its October 2023 meeting. Governor Lamont serves as chair of the commission.
“The Connecticut Recreational Trails Program and Connecticut Greenways Council are continuing to serve a vital role in providing funding for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of trails across Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “The funding for these 45 projects represents a significant investment in our state’s outdoor economy, and our trails and proximity to nature are a big part of why Connecticut is an attractive place to live and work. I am thrilled to announce funding for these projects, which will improve and expand recreational trail opportunities around our state.”
“These projects represent an investment in our communities, connecting our residents and visitors with open spaces, and providing equitable and accessible outdoor recreation opportunities,” Commissioner Dykes said. “Connection to Connecticut’s natural resources benefit everyone physically and mentally and enhance our state’s overall economy. Many of the projects funded by the Connecticut Recreational Trail Grant Program will support active regional transportation corridors that can provide safe, enjoyable alternatives to car travel and reduce pollution. My thanks to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for supporting these important investments in our state-wide trail systems.”
Grant funding awarded to these projects 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.
Twenty-three of the awarded projects occur within or serve Connecticut’s distressed municipalities and environmental justice communities, which will improve equitable access to outdoor recreation.
The Connecticut Greenways Council [[link removed]] assisted DEEP with the competitive grant selection process. DEEP anticipates most projects to be completed by 2027.
The following is a list of projects receiving grants under this round:
DEEP Connecticut Recreational Trails Program
June 2024 Grant Round
Applicant
Project Title
Project Type
Grant Funding
Andover
Andover Percy Cook Trail Design
Planning/Design
$83,500
Avalonia Land Conservancy
Cedar Woods Preserve Accessible Trail
Planning/Design
$26,000
Avon
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Safety Features and Amenities
Amenities
$114,412
Branford
Trolley Trail Bridge Improvements
Planning/Design; Construction
$400,000
Branford Land Trust
Branford Land Trust Accessible Trail
Planning/Design; Construction; Amenities; Publications; Outreach
$319,961
Burlington
Farmington River Trail Improvements – Burlington Section
Maintenance
$494,000
Capitol Region Council of Governments
CRCOG Regional Trail Equipment
Equipment
$340,000
East Coast Greenway Alliance, Inc.
Promoting and Activating Connecticut’s Outstanding East Coast Greenway
Publications; Outreach
$87,500
East Granby
East Granby Greenway Restoration Project
Maintenance
$395,389
East Hartford
Improvements and Connectivity to Lower Great River Park Recreational Trail Network
Planning/Design
$262,750
East Lyme
Darrow Pond Outdoor Education, Conservation and Recreation Center
Planning/Design
$36,300
Fairfield
Open Space Trail in Urbanized Fairfield Neighborhood
Planning/Design; Construction; Outreach
$255,284
Farmington
Farmington Center Connectivity Project Phase 1
Planning/Design; Education; Outreach
$208,000
Friends of Tarrywile Park, Inc.
Improving Safety and Accessibility to Trails in Tarrywile Park
Planning/Design
$35,000
Friends of the Litchfield Community Greenway, Inc.
Litchfield Greenway – Phase 4 D&E – Bantam Connection
Construction; Amenities
$320,000
Gather New Haven, Inc.
Pond Lily Nature Preserve Trail Plan
Planning/Design; Construction; Amenities; Publications; Outreach
$308,257
Goshen Land Trust
Goshen Land Trust: Trails for All
Construction; Maintenance; Publications; Education; Outreach
$89,744
Groton
Copp Family Park Trail Accessibility Improvements
Construction; Amenities; Acquisition
$143,000
Hampton
Creation of ADA Trails and Other Public Access in the Little River Preserve
Planning/Design; Construction; Maintenance; Education; Amenities; Publications
$219,200
Hartford
Park Trail Connectivity Action Plan
Planning/Design; Outreach
$160,000
Harwinton
Harwinton NRG Greenway – Section 1
Planning/Design
$250,000
Middlefield
Middlefield/Durham Community Multi-Use Trail
Planning/Design; Outreach
$172,000
Middletown
Pistol Creek Trail Improvements
Planning/Design; Construction
$554,130
Mitchell College
Mitchell Woods: Accessibility in Action
Planning/Design; Construction; Maintenance; Amenities
$396,960
New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA)
Canton Bike Pump and Skills Park
Planning/Design; Construction; Maintenance
$240,000
New Britian
Stanley Loop Trail Neighborhood Connections
Planning/Design, Construction
$388,160
North Stonington
Assekonk Borderlands Half-Mile ADA Accessible Nature/Hiking Trail
Planning/Design, Construction, Maintenance, Equipment, Amenities, Publications
$58,000
Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Master Planning for NCLC’s Public Nature Preserves
Planning/Design
$280,000
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
Kinneytown Section of the Naugatuck River Greenway
Planning/Preliminary Design; Outreach
$270,346
Old Saybrook
Saybrook Point Trail and Education Project
Planning/Design; Construction; Maintenance; Education; Amenities; Publications; Outreach
$366,640
Plainfield
Kate Downing Road Open Space
Planning/Design;
$52,000
Salisbury
Salisbury Railroad Street Multi Modal Pathway Planning and Design
Planning/Design
$50,000
Southington
Trail Project
Construction; Equipment
$7,270
Southwest Conservation District
Farm River Greenway Trail Section Final Design
Planning/Design
$150,000
Stamford
Weed Avenue Multi-Use Trail
Planning/ Preliminary Design
$223,608
Steep Rock Association
ADA-Accessible Bridge and Trail in Hidden Valley Preserve
Planning/Design
$60,000
Stratford
Stratford Trails Inventory and Expansion Planning Study
Planning/Design; Publications; Outreach
$131,200
West Hartford
West Hartford Multi-Use Trail Connectivity – Comprehensive Planning Study
Planning/Design
$100,000
Western Connecticut Council of Governments
Western Connecticut Regional Trail Project
Planning/Design; Outreach
$566,000
Windham
Windham Air Line Trail and Willimantic River Blueway Enhancements
Planning/Design; Construction; Amenities
$155,143
Woodbridge
Woodbridge Trail QR Scan Initiative for Historic Sites
Planning/Design; Education; Outreach
$8,400
Connecticut State Parks and Forests Projects
Gillette Castle Unit
Replacement of Railroad Trail Pedestrian Bridge
Construction
$300,000
Hop River State Park Trail
Hop River Trail Restoration – Railroad Brook
Construction
$284,000
Statewide
State Park Trail Maintenance Equipment
Equipment
$300,000
No Child Left Inside
Connecticut State Park Storywalk Frames
Amenities
$19,000
Funding for program administration of just over 3% ($319,846), pursuant to state statutes, is also included in this grant award round.
The Connecticut Trail Census, a project of the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), recorded more than 2.7 million trail uses at 42 trail counter locations across Connecticut in 2023. Average daily uses increased by 28% in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic (2017 to 2019) uses. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation in 2022 contributed nearly $4.5 billion to the state and supported more than 45,000 jobs.
Read on CT.gov [[link removed]]
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