For at least two decades, bicyclists have proposed a trail along the scenic Merritt Parkway. For a couple of years, the state Department of Transportation has been scraping up the money to study the idea.

The $1.3 million, mostly federally funded study is now a go. The first public meetings have been held in Stamford, Greenwich and Fairfield, with several more to follow in other communities along the parkway. And, as might be predicted, some property owners don't want the trail near their backyards.

There's been enough trail-building in Connecticut in the past two decades to challenge the notion that a bike/ped pathway would increase crime or decrease property values. What usually happens is what took place in Simsbury when the Farmington Canal Greenway multiuse trail was being built.

Some homeowners objected, fearing it would bring trouble. It didn't; the trail proved both safe and very popular, so much so that real estate agents now tout properties as being "near the trail" and the town has become one of the most bike-friendly in the state.

There's no reason to think the same thing wouldn't happen along the Merritt. If a trail is well used, as this one almost assuredly would be, the very presence of other riders would serve to deter crime.

A trail along the 37.5-mile parkway would be a great recreational asset for the state, and might even get some cars off the road, something that would help this historic roadway.

The key to getting it done will be flexibility and imagination. The state owns a 300-foot right of way, of which only a third to a half is used for the road. That means there's a wide swath on the south side of the road where a trail could go, but the land is not flat, and the trail would have to clear a number of historic bridges, grade crossings and a river or two. So it might have to shift to local streets or existing trails here and there.

That shouldn't be a deal-breaker. This would be a good thing, and everyone involved should find a way to make it happen.

Post Your Comment Below