Officials make keeping popular walking trails open a priority
When the calendar flipped from February to March, it was business as usual on Connecticut’s trails along the East Coast Greenway, which stretches from Florida to Maine.
The regulars had little concern about social distancing as they traversed the Air Line State Park Trail, Hop River Trail, Charter Oak Greenway, Farmington Canal Greenway and 14 other locations that draw daily visits from walkers, runners and bicyclists.
Things have changed since then, and with gyms among the businesses ordered closed by Gov. Ned Lamont to slow the spread of COVID-19, it seems natural that newcomers have discovered the trails.
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Hamden saw nearly three times as many visitors this March as in March 2019, according to the UConn Connecticut Trail Census. Increases at the Norwalk River Valley and Shoreline Greenway trails were only slightly off that pace.
“I think it is right in line with what I expected,” said Jack Walsh, co-chair of the Naugatuck River Greenway Steering Committee and a regular visitor on the trail in Derby. “We didn’t get as big of a jump in percentage in Derby as some of the other trails because we were already heavily used. The weather was better in March than it was in February so some of it is due to the better weather but most of it is just people looking to get outside.”
But with so many restrictions in place to prevent mass gatherings, too much of a good thing could result in trails being closed. It happened with the closing of Still River Greenway in Brookfield on March 26 because there was no way to guarantee trail users would maintain the proper amount of distance. A similar decision was made in Ansonia.
Signs reminding visitors to follow social-distancing protocol can be seen throughout Connecticut trails, with more added as the trails become more popular.
“We have to figure out how to keep people apart, how to keep people from congregating as much as possible,” said Bruce Donald, chairman of the Connectict Greenways Council and tri-state coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. “I try to get out as much as possible, probably two or three times a week on the trails in various parts in the state, and I mostly see people really try hard. I see a lot of masks now, many more than I used to.”
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection makes the decision to close trails in state parks. However, decisions on closing other trails typically fall to town and city officials.
“That call is difficult for some towns that don’t have the wherewithal to send out a policeman [when parking lots start filling up] for instance or have the ability to send out a cruiser three or four times a day,” Donald said. “We are trying to do as much as we possibly can to keep these facilities open.”
Trail leaders also hope novice users will begin to learn and practice trail etiquette, like sticking close to the right side of the path to allow others to pass, or waiting until there is ample space before passing someone else.
“The city posted some signs two weeks ago asking people to please observe the social distancing and wear the masks,” Walsh said. “I think they are doing much better with the social distancing than they are with wearing the masks. I go every day and I keep my own unofficial count when I go, I’d say the percentage of people who are actually wearing masks is roughly between and
But, he allowed, “there is so much conflicting information out there about the masks, it is crazy.”
What’s next?
Donald hopes that some of the people who have discovered Connecticut trails during the pandemic will keep using them once life returns to normal.
He also knows the increased usage numbers could help organizers get the funding needed to build new trails. Three phases are planned in Plainville, Phase 4 in New Haven (expanding from Yale University to Water Street) needs to go out for bid again and plans are in place to connect a Southington trail that stops at Lazy Lane to points north of Southington.
Projects in Bloomfield, Bolton and Manchester recently wrapped up and Donald said work in the Tariffville section of Simsbury is planned for later this year.
Events like next month’s Connecticut’s Ride the State, a 56-mile bike up the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail from New Haven to Southwick, Mass., and the New York City to Philadelphia Greenway Ride have been postponed. Donald hopes that smaller rides could happen later this year.
“It is just the reality right now and we want to err on the side of caution,” Donald said. “It is almost like a game of chicken right now: Who is the first large organization that is going to have a ride? And so far I don’t know of one yet.”