Shoreline Greenway Trail

Bike, hike and walk in Connecticut (CT)

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  • June 20, 2013
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ShorelineGreenwayTrail

Welcome to Shoreline Greenway Trail

The Shoreline Greenway Trail is being built as a continuous path for bicyclists, walkers and hikers and for people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and help create healthy communities along the Connecticut shoreline.

Our 25-mile trail on the Connecticut Shoreline will extend from Lighthouse Point on the New Haven Harbor through East Haven, Branford and Guilford, to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.

CT Trails Day: A Trolley Ride and SGT 11th Annual Volunteer Celebration

Riding the rails with the Shoreline Trolley Museum on CT Trails Day 2013

Riding the rails with the Shoreline Trolley Museum on CT Trails Day 2013

On June 1st, Connecticut Trails Day, Shoreline Greenway Trail’s Branford Team and East Haven Team, and the Shoreline Trolley Museum  in East Haven together hosted a special treat for our First Saturday monthly walk – a visit to the museum with a free trolley ride and a hike to the site of one of our next major Trail projects – a new pedestrian bridge to cross the Farm River between East Haven and Branford.  Over 80 people enjoyed the morning under sunny skies.

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Two antique trolleys took us over the river along woods and marshland

Antique trolley at Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven

Antique trolley at Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven

to a platform where we disembarked to walk along a temporary path to the old tide gate along upper Farm River.

SGT leader Chet Blomquist at abandoned Farm River tide gate, site of planned SGT pedestrian crossing between Branford and East Haven

SGT leader Chet Blomquist at abandoned Farm River tide gate, site of planned SGT pedestrian crossing between Branford and East Haven

Leader Chet Blomquist reminisced that  he used to “ride the rapids” in a canoe here.  The tide gate, destroyed in the hurricanes of 1938 and 1954, will be rebuilt as the base for our new walking and bicycling bridge over to East Haven.

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We also explored the nearby abandoned stone crushing mill where there are great views atop  the cliff looking ‘down river’.

View from old stone crushing mill down Farm River

View from old stone crushing mill down Farm River

Along the way we spotted a turkey in the bush, and soaring osprey. IMG_0063

It is exciting that this planned Trail route will connect two parks in adjacent towns:  Farm River State Park in East Haven via Meadow Road and our new pedestrian bridge across the Farm River to the Beacon Hill open space, a State-owned property in Branford.  

Immediately after, we held our brief 11th Annual Meeting at the nearby Christ & Epiphany Episcopal Church Hall, with Board elections and reports from our SGT Town Team chairs, followed by recognition of our Outstanding Volunteers of the year.

Chairman Chip Angle lauded the accomplishments of all our volunteers, stressing our unique status as an all-volunteer organization completely dependent on our supporters’ interest and good will to serve as volunteers.  This year, thirty special Shoreline Greenway Trail volunteers were honored from our five towns.

They have dedicated their special talents and energy to Shoreline Greenway Trail this past year in varied ways – as new Town Chairs, as Green Team Trail builders and boardwalk builders, as Fundraising Mail Team processors, and as Town government liaisons.  The Town Chairs presented each volunteer with a special cap, embroidered with “SGT Outstanding Volunteer”.  The  2012 Outstanding Volunteers are featured in our just-completed ‘Annual Report: May 2013′.

Some of the Outstanding Volunteers 2012 honored at SGT's 11th Annual Celebration include: front row - Branford's Pete Peterson seated and Madison's Perry Reinhard, standing;  middle row standing from left: East Haven's Bill Richardson, Arlene Hackbarth of East Haven Land Trust, Mike Gambardella, and Town Director Art DeSobo representing East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo,   Back Row - Madison's Dave Kelley and George Haines.
Outstanding Volunteers 2012 honored at SGT’s 11th Annual Celebration present for the event include:  front row – Branford’s Pete Peterson seated and Madison’s Perry Reinhard standing; middle row standing from left – East Haven’s Bill Richardson, Arlene Hackbarth of East Haven Land Trust, Mike Gambardella, Town Director Art DeSobo representing East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo, and New Haven’s John Cox;  back row – Madison’s Dave Kelley and George Haines.

Rails-to-Trails website features Shoreline Greenway Trail

rails-to-trails logoWe are thrilled that Rails-to-Trails Conservancy chose to feature a story, ”Pretty in Pink” about our Shoreline Greenway Trail on their website.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/features/shorelinegreenway.html.

And, check link on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/railstotrails.  The story will also appear in their upcoming March newsletter which goes out to nearly half a million people!  Thank you RTTC!

 

 

In Memoriam

Barbara Waggoner of Guilford, an early advocate for bicycling, died January 19, at age 91.  She and her husband Paul have resided in Guilford since 1952. After a year living in the Netherlands during 1971, Barbara returned to Guilford with a new enthusiasm for bicycling for transportation as well as for sport.  She formed the Guilford Bicycle Commission in 1973, and presented a bikeway plan to the Town.  In 1977, she co-founded the statewide CT Coalition of Bicyclists, and envisioned a bikeway on the Trolley right-of-way to Hammonassett which was proposed to the State legislature. While her efforts were not adopted, her vision later inspired the founders of the Shoreline Greenway Trail to affectionately name her the “Mother of the Shoreline Greenway Trail”.

We are grateful to the Waggoner family for designating Shoreline Greenway Trail for memorial contributions in honor of Barbara’s life.  Donations can be mailed to SGT, PO Box 148, Branford, CT 06405.

Happy New Year 2013 to all our Supporters!

We look forward to continuing the momentum created this year with active progress in all  four towns of the Shoreline Greenway Trail.  In 2013 we will be clearing and completing even more Trail sections in East Haven, Branford, Madison, and establish the first route in Guilford, with everyone’s help!

This past fall, two events marked significant progress for Shoreline Greenway Trail:
* East Haven SGT Team held a ribbon cutting to open their first completed 1½ miles of Trail
* Madison SGT Team started  construction of a boardwalk at Hammonasseet State Park.
Scroll down  for the complete stories.

Our First Boardwalk under construction in Madison

Madison volunteers build boardwalk structure at Hammonasset

At Hammonasset State Park, at the park entrance, a small crew of volunteers are hard at work building a boardwalk to cross 72 feet of tidal marsh.

38 helical piers will hold the structure and deck that our volunteers are installing. The piers were installed by a local firm, Robert J Barnabei Contracting LLC. The deck is a composite grid material that will allow 88 – 90% of available light through to the marsh grasses.

Hammonasset boardwalk deck

When completed, hopefully in February, the boardwalk will be 10 feet wide and 220 feet long, including ramps, to make the trail as accessible as possible to wheelchairs and persons with limited mobility.

[Read More...]

East Haven opens a new trail section!

East Haven Mayor Maturo cuts the ribbon! photo by Jennifer Higham

A wonderful ribbon-cutting event in East Haven on a sunny October 4 marked the opening of the first completed 1½ mile trail of the Shoreline Greenway Trail in East Haven – from  D. C. Moore School, down Pevetty Drive, through the Farm River State Park to Short Beach Road.  The Stony Creek pink granite final topping completes the trail for use not just by walkers, but by bicyclists and families with strollers.  The next step is to expand the trail thru the Bradford Preserve.

Mayor Joseph Maturo cut the ribbon with local politicians and the East Haven volunteers who worked on the trail.  Barbara Brow, Chair of the East Haven Shoreline Greenway Trail team, thanked everyone for their help, saying “You are the wind beneath our feet.”

East Haven SGT Team at Oct 4 Trail Opening celebration. photo by Jennifer Higham

[Read More...]

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SGT ‘First Saturday’ Bike Ride July 6 in Guilford at 8:30AM

Biking enthusiasts!  Join us for an early morning bike ride from the Guilford Town Green north to Lake Quonnipaug  – c. 18 miles round trip, easy, … [Read More...]

WFSB 3 Connecticut

What’s new in Branford!

SGT Through the eyes of children!

  On Tuesday, May 7, Branford Shoreline … [Read More...]

More Posts from Branford

What’s new in East Haven!

East Haven opens a new trail section!

A wonderful ribbon-cutting event in East Haven on … [Read More...]

More Posts from East Haven

What’s new in Guilford!

SGT ‘First Saturday’ Bike Ride July 6 in Guilford at 8:30AM

Biking enthusiasts!  Join us for an early morning … [Read More...]

More Posts from Guilford

What’s new in Madison!

Finishing Touches at Hammonasset

Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on … [Read More...]

More Posts from Madiosn

Join the International Festival’s Bike Tour June 26 – RT New Haven Green to East Haven

SGT supporters!  Get your bikes ready and join the fun in New Haven, a vibrant cycling community!  At the annual International Festival for Arts and Ideas in New Haven this June,  Elm City Cycling is hosting several bike tours to see the sights, explore bike trails and paths, and discover a piece of local history in [...]

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Volunteer

Volunteers are the amazing force behind Shoreline Greenway Trail. With no central office and no paid staff, we rely completely on individuals and groups to volunteer to help.   Volunteers will make … [Read More...]

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Recent Posts

  • Join the International Festival’s Bike Tour June 26 – RT New Haven Green to East Haven
  • SGT ‘First Saturday’ Bike Ride July 6 in Guilford at 8:30AM
  • CT Trails Day: A Trolley Ride and SGT 11th Annual Volunteer Celebration
  • SGT Through the eyes of children!
  • Finishing Touches at Hammonasset

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