Governor Lamont Announces $9 Million in State Grants To Plan, Build, Expand, and Improve 50 Recreational Trails Across Connecticut

Grants Awarded Through DEEP’s Connecticut Recreational Trails Program

5/15/2023

(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 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 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 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