Recapping Ride the State: Connecticut weekend

Despite rainy conditions throughout the day, a dedicated group of cyclists of all ages enjoyed the latest edition of Ride the State: Connecticut on Saturday, June 24. The 56-mile ride from New Haven, Connecticut, to Southwick, Massachusetts, on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail segment of the East Coast Greenway was co-hosted by Farmington Valley Trails Council, Farmington Canal Rail to Trail Association and the East Coast Greenway Alliance.

Capped at 150 participants, the ride sold out for the second straight year in just over three weeks. Proceeds from the event will help go toward completion of the marquee Connecticut portion of the East Coast Greenway. 

“The importance of having a protected trail is also key – that it’s not in traffic and it’s purely for recreation or commuting,” said rider Rachel Hiskes. “It’s an investment in infrastructure that does a lot of things for communities and for society as a whole.”

On Friday, June 23, the weekend kicked off with a ribbon cutting, which was emceed by Connecticut State Committee Chair Steve Mitchell, for the latest segment of the East Coast Greenway in Avon, Connecticut. There, Alliance staff members, local leaders and representatives from Bike Walk Avon CT were joined by local residents to celebrate continued Greenway success in the state.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, East Coast Greenway Southern New England Manager Bruce Donald received a surprise honor. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont proclaimed Friday, June 23, 2023, as Bruce Donald Day, conveying “honor and gratitude” upon Donald for his dedication to greenways and trails in the state. To date, Donald’s “portfolio of funded East Coast Greenway Alliance projects in three states now sits at 33 in total, amounting to $170 million.”