The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
From Torrington to Thomaston
Proposed trail stretches from Bogue Road to Old Waterbury Road
TORRINGTON — Officials are laying out the route for a trail between Torrington and Thomaston as the ongoing effort to craft the Naugatuck River Greenway continues.
The 10.9-mile area stretches from Bogue Road in Torrington to a planned piece of trail near the Water Pollution Control Facility on Old Waterbury Road in Thomaston, Aaron Budris of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments said Tuesday in a release.
Over the course of a year, BSC Group, a Glastonbury-based consulting firm, “will inventory potential routes and rank them
with stakeholder and public input with the goal of selecting a final preferred route with broad consensus,” as well as providing “phasing recommendations and construction cost estimates of the preferred route to help municipalities plan,” according to Budris.
“This routing study is a key part of moving the Naugatuck River Greenway forward,” said Rob Pinkney, manager of transportation services at BSC Group, in the release. “It will ultimately provide options that ensure the greenway meets each community’s long-term needs and that the investments made are well-spent and provide the most benefit to residents.”
Officials announced plans to design the stretch of the trail in June.
The Naugatuck River Greenway is projected to eventually run for 44 miles, connecting Torrington to Derby.
Officials have touted the potential economic and health benefits of the trail. A study on the prospective effects of the trail was released by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments and partners in April.
“Currently, total annual visits to open sections, only about 4.1 miles in four communities, is estimated at about 195,500,” representatives of the NVCOG said at the time. “These visitors spend about $2.9 million each year on various items such as snacks, beverages, food, gear and travel. By 2031, annual visitations are projected at 2.6 million and annual spending would reach about $42.6 million under the baseline scenario.”
The Torrington stretch of the greenway is planned to run between Franklin Street and Bogue Road. It is expected to spur about $2.9 million in spending by 2031, and receive roughly 129,700 visits per year, according to the NVCOG study.
The City Council awarded a contract for the survey and development of design plans for the piece of the greenway in March, and Anchor Engineering Services, Inc., of Glastonbury, was allocated $58,800 for the work. The city received a $278,000 grant from the state to plan it in April 2016.
The council awarded a contract to BSC Group to determine the best route between the end of the Sue Grossman Greenway on Harris Drive and the beginning of the Naugatuck River on Franklin Street in June.
A portion of the trail in Torrington has already been completed, running from John Toro Fields to the Supreme Industries property.
“Traditionally, people look at our trails and our greenways very narrowly, as just recreational. They’re not looking at them holistically, how they impact a community — that there’s economic development. It’s transportation, it’s health benefits,” said Mayor Elinor Carbone, when ground was broken on this portion of the trail in June 2016. “Having this opportunity to expand our trail offerings right here, especially a trail that’s going to directly connect to our downtown area, is tremendously beneficial to the city of Torrington. Being just a small part of the larger Naugatuck River Greenway, it’s visionary — the future of this is endless.”