Tale of a very early rail trail

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For all of us who are waiting patiently for our portion of the East Coast Greenway/New Haven to Northampton Trail to be complete here in Plainville, take heart in the fact that vision and hope do  pay off. At the bottom of this post, there is a link to a website that tells the story of the Illinois Prairie Path, which I have ridden many times. As you will read, it was the vision of one woman, but is now enjoyed by 800,000 people every year. Imagine that happening here, although it has already begun with 100,000 documented users annually on the completed section through Avon and Simsbury, CT.  I have ridden the Prairie Path from the central access point in Wheaton west to Geneva past the huge Fermi Lab cyclotron. I have ridden it east to the outskirts of Chicago on my way to several rides along Lake Michigan. It is mostly built of stone dust, so it is not suitable for roller bladers. But for that one drawback it is a great resource for the region and I heartily recommend it to anyone cycling in the Chicagoland area.
So, we need your continued and appreciate your past support helping us to make our Central Connecticut version of the Illinois Prairie Path a reality. When we build it, they will come.
Jim Cassidy.


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