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Citizens pitch Sono Rail Trail concept to Norwalk Bike Walk Commission
Summary
Two residents presented a 1.5-mile concept for a greenway on an abandoned rail alignment in South Norwalk to connect neighborhoods, a new school, businesses and transit hubs; the group seeks community engagement, property-owner agreements and early feasibility work.
Two Norwalk residents presented the Sono Rail Trail concept to the Bike Walk Commission on March 3, describing a roughly 1.5-mile greenway along an old freight rail alignment that would connect South Norwalk Station to the Wilson Avenue area and a planned new school.
David Tattersall and Melissa Murray described the alignment as largely abandoned and tree-filled, with sections that could accommodate a boardwalk over marshy areas and small pocket parks where the rail right-of-way opens into wider triangles. They said the concept is intended to provide safe, car-free walking and bicycling connections of 5 to 15 minutes between neighborhoods, transit and schools and to complement existing projects such as MLK Boulevard improvements and regional trail plans.
Tattersall and Murray said they are working informally ("in no official capacity") with Sustainable Streets Norwalk and that early conversations with property owners along the corridor have been productive. They described a two-phase outreach approach for 2025: engagement and consensus-building in the first half of the year, followed by fundraising and the potential procurement of a feasibility study or preliminary design in the second half. Maintenance planning, they said, would need to be part of fundraising and long-term stewardship discussions.
Murray noted the corridor's complexity because segments run adjacent to private businesses and said some owners may agree to maintain the portions that cross their property. Presenters compared the proposal to similar projects elsewhere, including Kirkland, Washington's Cross Kirkland Corridor and Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail ("The 606") as examples of how a rail corridor can create neighborhood connectivity and commercial activity.
Commissioners expressed general enthusiasm and asked how the project would be classified and managed. Presenters said legal classification and long-term management are unresolved and will be clarified during feasibility and stewardship planning. The presenters invited public and staff input and provided an email contact (board@sonerailtrail.org) for follow-up.
