A not so public meeting about a wide path that jumped off the rails onto the narrow streets of Old Greenwich
- Guy
- Nov 10
- 2 min read
It began with CT Governor Lamont's good idea of providing multi-use recreational trails along Connecticut's rail paths and canal routes. The State committed $9 million for 50 trail programs including a grant to design a Greenwich-Stamford Multi-Use Trail.
Instead of running along rail paths, the 10-foot wide multi-use trail under study here has gone off the rails. It runs through narrow streets in Old Greenwich in hopes of connecting Old Greenwich's Binney Park to Stamford's Boccuzzi Park. What happened to the original rail bed idea? Why not use the rail bed to connect all of Greenwich's rail stations? Why not Route 1? Why do we need to connect these parks? This is quite different from a sidewalk program that would help many Shore Road and Tomac Road residents, it is a bull-dozer-sized 10-foot-wide path.
A "public" meeting was held last Thursday, November 6 at 6pm at the Cohen East Greenwich Civic Center, but the meeting was not accessible by Zoom, it was not broadcast on Channel 79 and it was not recorded. The meeting did not fit the modern definition of a public meeting.
Here is what we heard about the meeting from residents who attended. The room was not entirely full and the attendance was a mix of Old Greenwich residents and many others, including bicycle advocates who were out in force. The bicyclists strongly believed that Old Greenwich residents need a "culture change" when it comes to accommodating a trail like this.
Key concerns raised by residents included the safety of pedestrians on such a shared lane with bikes (including e-bikes and teams of bikers) and the rising number of cars speeding through the community with limited enforcement. How do you navigate a multi-use path when it crosses your driveway? Will the project involve taking away sidewalks? Others were concerned about a wide swath of impermeable trail creating more flood risk. What about the many trees that will be removed or compromised as part of the project.
Between the Lines: Governor Lamont should use his clout to get this project back on the rails as it was intended. And since the meetings were not recorded or televised, you should definitely make your voice heard by submitting your comments to DPW here.