The Connecticut State Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) must pay a cyclist $2.9 million in damages after she crashed into a gate on a bike path at the West Hartford reservoir.
According to an article on the West Hartford Patch web site, the original court case was a result of an accident on May 16, 2002. Maribeth Blonksi, a Rocky Hill resident, was riding her bike on Red Road on the Farmington Avenue reservoir property in West Hartford when she struck an iron gate. The article states that Blonski was riding in the opposite direction of the signage at a high speed with her head down. She had multiple injuries, including four broken vertebrae in her neck. In the original suit she claimed there was no signage indicating the gate was closed. The MDC stated in the case the gate was always closed, and that after 9/11 they were even more careful of keeping the gate shut to protect the water supply. The path is accessible to walkers and cyclists through dirt paths on either side of the gate. The MDC said it is not planning to eliminate the public's use of the facilities and paths. However, in order to pay the costs associated with the court's decision, they may need to pass the costs on to their ratepayers. American Trails is offering an online webinar, “Building Your Trail Right the First Time,” on July 18, 2013 from 1-2:30 p.m. The webcast is part of the “Advancing Trails Webinar Series.” During this webcast you will learn how to design and layout a sustainable trail when you are constructing or maintaining your trail system. Presenter John Favro, a professional trail consultant, owner of Trail Guys and the Chair of the American Trails Board will teach this session. Learn how to place a trail on the landscape so it is consistent with the natural environment so it will be aesthetically pleasing, meet user needs and require minimal maintenance in the future. After this webinar you will have the tools to: • Understand the influences of water on trail alignments • Understand the use of control points in trail layout • Learn how to determine sustainable grade • Learn how to determine grades between control points. The cost to attend is $45 for American Trails members and $75 for non-members. Click here for more information Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Greenways Council are accepting nominations for official state greenway designations through May 1, 2013. An official designation by the Greenways Council recognizes a greenway as an open space that meets the definition of a greenway and enhances the community and is supported by local government initiatives. Designated greenways, both for recreation and resource protection, will be listed in a subsequent revision of the State Plan of Conservation and Development and may receive increased consideration for a variety of grants. There are currently 68 designated greenways in Connecticut. The Greenways Council will evaluate all nominated greenways for consistency with designation criteria. Those selected for designation will be announced by the Greenways Council in conjunction with their National Trails Day event in June. The nomination form is available as a word document or a PDF. The preferred method for submission of completed nomination forms is by e-mail to Tenia.Seay@ct.gov, and digital photos and maps are preferred (digital photos of hard copy maps are acceptable). Nominations may also be submitted on CD or other electronic storage device and can be mailed to Tenia Seay, CT DEEP, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127. The deadline for submission of nominations is May 1. For more information please visit www.ct.gov/deep/greenways Do you walk, run or bike in the vicinity of the Putnam Bridge? If you do and you know the area, please join DOT and design/construction consultants from CHA for the Feb. 27 web meeting about the multi-use trail connections for the Putnam Bridge in Wethersfield and Glastonbury Connecticut. This web meeting will provide an overview of the work done to date and provide a forum to solicit comments from interested parties. Web Meeting for Putnam Bridge Trail Connections Wednesday, February 27, 2013 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Details on the Putnam Bridge project are available here, or click on the links below:
Documents: Scope of Work Overview Preliminary Planning and Design Goals Shared Use Path Design Standards Study Schedule Meetings: Advisory Committee Meeting #1 (January 31, 2013) Agenda Presentation Exhibits Bloomfield is advancing a portion of the Bloomfield Greenway, a part of the East Coast Greenway. While the exact project limits have not yet been determined, funding will construct approximately a ½ mile of new multi-use trail. A public informational meeting to discuss this project will be held on: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 Common Council Chambers Town Hall Annex 800 Bloomfield Ave Bloomfield, CT 6:30 pm Informal Q&A Session 7:30 pm Presentation *In the event of inclement weather the meeting will be held on Thursday, January 31st, same time & location ConnDOT will hold two public informational meetings regarding the Manchester-Bolton trail connection, one in each community. A preliminary layout has been designed and will be available for your review and discussion. Below are the meeting details: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 Lincoln Center Directors Room 494 Main Street, Manchester 6:30 PM Informal Q&A Session 7 PM Formal Presentation *Plans will be available in the Engineering Office (2nd Floor, Lincoln Center) 2 weeks prior to the meeting Wednesday, January 23, 2013 Bolton Town Hall 222 Bolton Center Road, Bolton 6:30 PM Informal Q&A Session 7 PM Formal Presentation *Plans will be available at Town Hall 2 weeks prior to the meeting
Register Now! Western New England Greenway Conference Saturday November 10, 2012 Register now! There is no cost to attend, and your input is needed. Join us as we continue to plan a contiguous bike trail from New York City to Montreal. Download the Agenda here. What: Western New England Greenway Conference When: Saturday, November 10th - 10 AM to 3:30 PM Where: Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT Register here. The vision is a network of bike trails reaching from the East Coast Greenway in southern Connecticut all the way to the Canadian border. And then linking up with Quebec's famed Route Verte. Organizations in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut are coming together to create a seamless network that stretches more than 250 miles. Join the discussion and explore how to make this idea a reality. Additional information and an agenda are being developed, and your ideas are welcome. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. The conference is free of charge. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. The conference is free of charge. For more information: call 860-435-9505 or e-mail: Info@HousatonicHeritage.org Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area 24 Main Street PO Box 493 Salisbury, CT 06068 Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area PO Box 611 Great Barrington, MA 01257 Online at www.HousatonicHeritage.org email at info@HousatonicHeritage.org In Partnership With The National Park Service |
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