Read this wonderful letter written by my friend Dean Birdsall. Its about time our community and its elected leaders make this happen. Imagine a scenic tranquil greenway path that connected Litchfield to Bantam, all three of our community schools, the Litchfield Community Center, and WAMOGO. Imagine town families, tourists, and citizens of all ages enjoying the natural resources that define our beautiful region. A greenway trail would offer connectivity without the need for cars to many of the wonderful resources that our town has available: White Memorial Foundations Nature Center and vast trail network, Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, Bantam Lake, shops and restaurants from Litchfield to Bantam. Right now, the only way to connect all of these locations is to travel on route 202. Riding a bike on route 202 between Bantam and Litchfield is not tranquil, enjoyable, or safe. A Greenway trail would undoubtedly be good for local business and is supported by the Local Area Business Association. The Rail Trail on Cape Cod, established along the old rail bed, has created new life for a multitude of businesses for 22 miles between Dennis and Wellfleet. For information detailing the community benefits of supporting a greenway: americantrails.org/resources/benefits/ A Litchfield greenway trail that roughly followed the old Shepaug Railroad rail bed would offer the opportunity to link our community to the Steep Rock Preserve in Washington and other regional greenway efforts. It would be a spectacular bike trail! People that have not experienced the benefits of a greenway trail should bring their bikes to Millerton, NY and ride the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in Duchess County. Last weekend, I was part of one small group among many cyclists that were eating and shopping in the little town of Millerton. Its a lovely ride and the trail appears to be well used by the locals and tourists alike. Now imagine developing an asset of such wide ranging potential for the community at no cost to the taxpayer. The dream of establishing a bike trail in Litchfield is not new. The most recent initiative is several years in the making. The dedicated group leading the effort have done their research. The group as established key partnerships, sought private funding, been granted rights of way, and researched and addressed potential liability issues. The steadfast group has done this without assistance or support from the town. The group does not seek any town funding, but a successful greenway project must be a town supported effort. We need to make this happen as a community, and we are seeking the leadership of our selectmen to make this potential town asset a reality. Imagine the ride … More information about the Litchfield Community Greenway: litchfieldcommunitygreenway.org/background.html Thanks for your consideration, Dean Birdsall Bantam
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:46:54 +0000