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Welcome to the Stratford Greenway/Complete Streets Committee. It is an advisory board to the town’s Planning Commission. Over the past 20 years, much of its work has focused on implementing Stratford’s portion of the Housatonic River Greenway project. (The Greenway also sponsors group rides in various parts of town; the best place to see an updated schedule is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/846384432150771 )
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As described in the press, this ambitious plan would make the Housatonic River – from its headwaters in Massachusetts to its mouth in Stratford and Milford -- a “greenway” where cyclists, hikers, bird watchers and others can enjoy scenic vistas along its banks. (See “Housatonic greenway takes another step,” CT Post, Aug. 7, 2010:
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Housatonic-greenway-takes-another
-step-607140.php
Also see: https://hvatoday.org/
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Right now, stretches of Stratford’s incomplete Greenway are currently visible and accessible alongside DeLuca Field off Main Street and at the Sikorsky Estuary Trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/connecticut/sikorsky-estuary-trail
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Here is a more detailed look at plans for the Greenway:
1.The Greenway is part of a broader Complete Streets plan to make Stratford’s streets more friendly to multimodal transportation, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. The effort received a big boost in October 2022 from a $6 million grant for Main Street upgrades:
https://flipboard.com/topic/connecticut/stratford-awarded-6-million
-for-new-main-street-upgrades/f-948abf449b%2Fctpost.com
So, Phase One of Complete Streets -- Main Street to Barnum Ave. -- has been approved and funded and will begin construction before summer 2023. Phase Two --Main St. from Barnum Ave. to Paradise Green -- is now also funded. It is in the design stage and projected for completion summer 2024.
2.Here is the Preliminary Design Report for the Stratford Greenway Extension Project
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/40866/Stratford_Greenway_
Extension__-_Preliminary_Design_Report.pdf
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The Greenway Committee offered
a series of public group bike rides
in summer and fall 2022, co-sponsored
with the town Recreation Department.
Here is one of the most popular routes:
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3.The Greenway effort intersects with many other parts of town planning. Every 10 years the town renews its Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). Hearings were conducted in Fall 2022 for a new Plan that is expected in 2023.
The Greenway also was a prominent part of the town’s Waterfront Vision Plan, from 2004. While some of the plan’s goals have been realized, others remain relevant today. The plan’s report states that:
To involve the public in the process and bring together elected officials, town employees, residents and business representatives, two public workshops were held. While there was general consensus on most issues, two topics received unanimous support:
• Improve maintenance and upkeep of existing town land along the waterfront; and
• Construct the Greenway beginning with the segment from Stratford Point to Bond’s Dock.
In addition to the public workshops, an attitude survey was sent out to all town residents. The results indicated strong support for developing a bicycle and pedestrian trail along the Housatonic River shoreline and expanding/enhancing public access to the waterfront.
From these public outreach efforts, the following goals and objectives were included in the Waterfront Vision Plan:
• Maximize public access to the waterfront area.
• Maintain existing scenic views of the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound.
• Protect natural resources, including salt marshes, wetlands, natural vegetation areas and wildlife habitats.
• Encourage a broad range of active and passive recreational uses.
• Promote future economic development, where feasible and consistent with the policies of the Coastal Management Act.
• Reduce maintenance costs.
(See 2004, Waterfront Vision Plan,
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/40866/98325reportupdate.pdf
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Again, while progress has been made to meet several of these ambitious goals, the project has had to deal with such hurdles as gaining local and state transportation approval, town budgetary concerns, and the slow cleanup of the Stratford Army Engine Plant (where a right-of-way for the Greenway would be included).
4.The Greenway Committee welcomes comment and support from the broader Stratford community. We meet monthly and our minutes are available at the town web site (https://www.stratfordct.gov/content
/39832/40029/42597.aspx. Use the pulldown menu and select Greenway).
If interested, you also may want to take a look at these documents:
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• 2008; Stratford Pathways Study & Plan, Housatonic River Greenway Project. (81-page overview and update) Prepared by the Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency Revised February 2008
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/40866/
Housatonic_Greenway_Plan-Revised_7_20081.pdf
• 2014; Plan of Conservation and Development
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/57150/
StratfordFinalPOCD_02-26-2014.pdf
See Chapter 9, Transportation System. From page 89:
9.7 Bicycle Circulation The 2003 Plan of Conservation and Development identified a number of potential routes for a public greenway or trail along the Town’s waterfront. Preliminary proposals contained in the POCD illustrated a possible greenway extending from I-95 in the north to Stratford Point in the south. Portions of the greenway utilized existing roadways, resulting in sections that were located away from the riverfront. In 2004, a Waterfront Vision Plan was developed to further explore the opportunities for developing the Greenway. A more detailed concept plan was developed during this study resulting in a recommended alignment for the trail, linkages to surrounding streets, and design concepts for signage, trail markers, and lighting. Refer to Chapter 10 – Open Space & Recreation for further information regarding the Greenway and other bicycle facilities in Stratford.
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Working schedule, Greenway group bike rides, 2022
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• 2014; Plan of Conservation and Development
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/57150/StratfordFinalPOCD
_02-26-2014.pdf
See Chapter 9, Transportation System. From page 89:
9.7 Bicycle Circulation The 2003 Plan of Conservation and Development identified a number of potential routes for a public greenway or trail along the Town’s waterfront. Preliminary proposals contained in the POCD illustrated a possible greenway extending from I-95 in the north to Stratford Point in the south. Portions of the greenway utilized existing roadways, resulting in sections that were located away from the riverfront. In 2004, a Waterfront Vision Plan was developed to further explore the opportunities for developing the Greenway. A more detailed concept plan was developed during this study resulting in a recommended alignment for the trail, linkages to surrounding streets, and design concepts for signage, trail markers, and lighting. Refer to Chapter 10 – Open Space & Recreation for further information regarding the Greenway and other bicycle facilities in Stratford.
• 2016; Preliminary Design Report Executive Summary Stratford Greenway Extension Project Stratford, Connecticut.
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/40866/Stratford_Greenway_Extension__-_Preliminary_Design_Report.pdf
• 2016 Stratford Coastal Resiliency Pan. Ties Greenway efforts to strengthening town’s defenses against storm surges and flooding.
https://www.stratfordct.gov/filestorage/39879/40866/Stratford_Coastal_Resiliency_Plan_-_Final_Report_12-21-2016_Electronic_-_optimized.pdf
• 2019; Greenways & Pathways Phase II Implementation; 2019
https://www.stratfordct.gov/content/39832/39846/39923/119567.aspx
5. To Friends of the Greenway: Stay in touch!
Greenway updates are regularly added to our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/846384432150771/permalink/5021165738005932
Look for more Greenway-sponsored group bicycle ride, starting in late Spring 2023.
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