(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, 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 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.