NVCOG has published the NRG Trail Design and Management Guide, which sets standards for the construction and upkeep of new sections as they are built. The 34-page guide is free and can be downloaded from NVCOG’s website at https://nvcogct.gov/what-we-do/naugatuck-river-greenway/.
The NRG Trail is a non-motorized, multi-use trail. When it’s finished, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to ride or walk the length of the river without going onto local roads or encountering motor vehicles. The trail will go for 44 miles along the Naugatuck River through 11 communities: Litchfield, Harwinton, Thomaston, Watertown, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia, and Derby.
Several sections of the trail are done and being used. NVCOG is working with stakeholders to get more parts of the trail constructed. NVCOG developed the design and management guide with guidance from the Naugatuck Rover Greenway Steering Committee to help this process along.
In the guide, readers will find useful information on design standards for trails, how to make a trail accessible to all users, signage and wayfinding, lighting and how to measure use of a trail.
Municipalities that build a trail are responsible for its upkeep. The guide tells how to control vegetation along a trail, keeping it clean, keeping it clear in the winter and how to calculate maintenance costs. Appendices cover style guides for street furniture and amenities along with information on Connecticut’s e-bike laws.
For more information about the NRG Trail and the guide, contact NVCOG Senior Regional Planner Aaron Budris, at abudris@nvcogct.gov.
