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Cannot Afford the Luxury

I support an expansion of Guilford’s system of sidewalks and trails for pedestrians and cyclists. However, I strongly oppose the 25-mile Shoreline Greenway Trail (SGT) in principle, and I have serious reservations regarding the 0.7 mile segment as a priority within Guilford’s own defined town needs.

The SGT, in its full scope as a pathway from Lighthouse Park in New Haven to Hammonasset State Park in Madison, is a path too far for the benefit of too few at a cost too great and a priority too low when compared to more pressing needs, like elevating a half dozen sections of Route 146 that will face frequent and more intense flooding in the next 10 to 20 years, and pose both a safety risk to drivers and an economic risk to our tax base for all properties that depend on 146 for safe and reliable access. The SGT is fundamentally a recreational amenity, not a transportation priority. It is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have, and we can’t afford it now.

The flooding conditions on Route 146 have been the subject of discussion between our town officials and legislative representatives and the State Department of Transportation for some time now, and resolution of the issue is not on the horizon. The state does not want to face the inevitability and the associated costs which will occur not only in Guilford, but in all shoreline towns in varying degrees. Not wanting to face an issue does not vanquish it.

If we cannot afford to deal with the necessity of sustaining Route 146, then clearly we cannot afford the luxury of the proposed trail.

Sidney F. Gale

Guilford