Annual Ride the State: Connecticut set for Saturday on the East Coast Greenway
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - The Farmington Valley Trails Council, Farmington Canal Rail to Trail Association and the East Coast Greenway Alliance are teaming up once again to host Ride the State: Connecticut, a 56-mile bicycle ride to highlight the need to close the remaining gaps in the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail segment of the East Coast Greenway on Saturday.
Capped at 150 participants, the ride is sold out for a third straight year. Proceeds from the event will help go toward completion of the marquee Connecticut portion of the East Coast Greenway.
Ride the State: Connecticut begins at the New Haven Green and passes through 11 Connecticut towns before it reaches Southwick, Massachusetts. The majority of the ride is on the extensive, flat Farmington Canal Heritage Trail system with only a few sections on carefully selected local roads. There will be two rest stops, a support vehicle and a police escort on Route 10.
The ride will begin at 8 a.m. at the southwest corner of New Haven Green (the corner of Chapel and College Streets) at the Pierre Lallement Memorial Stone. It is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. in Southwick, Massachusetts.
Lunch will take place in Avon at the Avon Village Center Project at Climax Road and the intersection of the trail just past Route 44.
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail passes through the following towns: New Haven, Hamden, Cheshire, Southington, Plainville, Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, East Granby, Granby and Suffield. Only two gaps remain – in New Haven and the Plainville area.
Connecticut DEEP and the Connecticut Department of Transportation are working together to expand the trail system making use of trails more attractive for residents and visitors to Connecticut, and support for greenways and trails continues to grow. The East Coast Greenway Alliance was recently awarded funding from Connecticut Recreational Trails Grant Program for "Promoting and Activating Connecticut’s Outstanding East Coast Greenway.”
Ride the State event partners:
Thank you to our Ride the State sponsors!
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