Ride the State hits milestone with 15th successful event
A rainy start did little to dampen the spirits of the more than 200 cyclists and volunteers who traveled 66 miles Saturday along Connecticut’s East Coast Greenway as part of the 15th-annual Ride the State: Connecticut.
This year’s event featured a brand-new route from New Haven to Hartford — from the Boathouse to the Statehouse — with the aim of highlighting the need to complete key gaps in the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and Hartford Connector segments.
“We’re trying really hard to continue to get advocacy support for the last little piece of Southington, and then three phased sections that Connecticut DOT has designed in Plainville, and then essentially we’ll be done,” Bruce Donald, Southern New England manager of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, told WTNH-TV.
The ride began at the Canal Dock Boathouse on Long Wharf Drive in New Haven and finished at Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford. This year’s ride marked the first time the event followed a New Haven-to-Hartford route, offering participants the opportunity to experience the Greenway’s newest section in New Haven, which opened just last month.
In between, the scenic route passed through Hamden, Cheshire, Southington, Plainville, Farmington, Avon, Simsbury and Bloomfield. Many riders returned to New Haven via CT Rail for a true multi-modal experience.
All proceeds from the event will support completion of Connecticut’s marquee Greenway corridors. Once fully connected, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and Hartford Connector will help link communities across the state and support safe, car-free travel for recreation and transportation.
Thank you to the following sponsors for supporting Ride the State and the East Coast Greenway in Connecticut!
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