Markeshia Ricks Photo
DeLeo prepares to lead the tour.
With the first blue sky in days overhead and wind whipping all around, Frank DeLeo shared a vision of trails along the West River and people biking and hiking near the former Pond Lily Dam just a few feet from the hustle and bustle of traffic and parking lots.
The river near the entrance to Wilbur Cross Parkway.
DeLeo along with about 45 people from both New Haven and Woodbridge gathered at the edge of West River, at the site of the old dam, for an update Saturday on the progress of the river and what is hoped for the future of recreation that would tie the two cities together.
The walk, which was sponsored by the West River Watershed Coalition, was the kickoff for a push to get the state Department of Transportation to create at the very least a 10 foot wide multi-use trail that would accommodate bikes and pedestrians from Pond Lily in New Haven to Konolds Pond.
Kendall Barbery of Connecticut Fund for the Environment said it took cooperation from organizations like Save the Sound, New Haven Land Trust, and both the cities of New Haven and Woodbridge to get the dam removed, and it will take similar cooperation to establish a greenway trail. She noted that recent rains meant that the group was seeing some of the highest flow passing through Pond Lily in years. That was good news because a free-flowing West River was part of the reason for the push to remove the more than 200 year old decommissioned dam.
The river at Bradley Road.
The efforts to remove the dam, and now the push for a multi-use trail, continue to have the support of state lawmakers who represent both New Haven and Woodbridge. New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon said she’d already collared state DOT Commissioner James Redeker on the matter at the Capitol Friday. She advised Saturday’s group that soon supporters of more bike and pedestrian access will be called upon to put together a fact sheet that more clearly spells out the needs and possible remedies for the greenway.
The spilway at Konolds Pond.
DOT is currently working on improvements for Exit 59. DeLeo said the coalition plans to request a multi-use trail, instead of just an everyday sidewalk, particularly on Whalley Avenue, where as the street crosses into Woodbridge, the sidewalk essentially disappears. The walkers found that out as they braved the quickly moving Saturday morning traffic to cross under Wilbur Cross Parkway and walked single file to Bradley Road.
DeLeo said Saturday’s walk was designed to show people the possibilities for recreation and all the nearby natural environment that they could have better access to if they helped with the efforts. And he’s trying to get people to act quickly before DOT closes out its designs for improvements to the exit.
Walkers making their way back.
“We need some help,’ he said. “The idea is to get it done before the plans are completely drawn up. The DOT needs to understand the concerns of people in the area here when it comes to pedestrian access and bicycle access.”
He said a number of bike groups along with the Amity Bike Shop have show interest in having bike access along Whalley Avenue into Woodbridge, but “no one from DOT has paid a lot of attention to that.”
i love that you want to preserver and revitalize the eco system and that you want people to to be one with nature but before we spend millions on a project that wont give long terms jobs, help the homeless or vets with housing and mental health, wont give the children of greater New Haven access to what they need i school ie computers and good wireless, longer library hours etc can we get those things done first seeing how much we are already in a deficit. Not begrudging you but this is not a few thousand dollar project this is millions!!!!!