Welcome to the FVTC!
The FVTC was founded in 1992 by Preston Reed of Farmington as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation to promote public awareness of the conversion of the abandoned Canal Railroad into the central Connecticut portion of the multi-use Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT) and the Farmington River Trail. Today the organization has sixteen volunteer director/officers, encompasses nine towns and has over sixteen hundred members. The Adopt-a-Trail Program has over one hundred volunteers providing maintenance for all thirty two miles of paved trail currently completed. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been granted since our inception for construction and enhancements. Other functions are regional advocacy, and events like clean-up days and Trails in Motion, held for the last fifteen years out of Simsbury, CT in June, on National Trails Day. The FVTC disseminates ten thousand folding maps a year and has created a comprehensive guide of the trail system. We are proud to work with all of the regional stakeholders toward the final completion of the trail system creating one of the premier contiguous multi-use trails in America, and we welcome your support as a member or volunteer. Please see Maps and Trails: Trail Miles Status and Resources: Links: Publications: Why Multi-Use Trails in Connecticut? for further information.
CHECK OUT LAKE BASILE
We encourage anyone who uses the trail to check out Lake Basile. Here's an update on the recent Lake Basile Association (LBA) annual lake clean up event. The viewing area is looking better than ever. Late last year, the former beach area was restored to its former beauty. Signs and benches are all repaired and reinstalled. The lake will be treated again this year to help keep it looking clear and beautiful. Much is this work is done with financial support from FVTC so be sure to pay the lake a visit while you're on the trail.
THE RIVER TRAIL IN BURLINGTON IS IN POOR CONDITION
The River Trail in Burlington currently remains open, however it is in a deteriorated state and we urge caution for all users, particularly road bikers who may prefer to use RT 4 (up the Burlington parking lot ramp north to Collinsville) to avoid the bumpy pavement. The Town is in the process of recieving the remaining funding necessary for the reconstruction of the Trail and hopes to start by late this season or early in 2014.
PLAINVILLE NEWS - FARMINGTON CANAL HERITAGE TRAIL
The Town of Plainville, due to the lack of progress in purchasing the railroad ROW north to Farmington, has decided to seek funding to construct the first piece of off-road trail at Norton Park. This piece, at less than 2 miles, runs through the Park and onto South Washington St. to the Southington town line. The project is estimated at $500,000 of which 80% is funded, the rest owed by the town. The FVTC has pledged to help Plainville with the remaining part of the funding shortfall and as the current round of project funding requests becomes known we will be in a better position to start our fund-raising activities. This is an important part of the remaining gap in the FCHT and the East Coast Greenway.
