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Council advances Trail 757 (Birthplace of America Trail) with federal grant appropriation and project agreement
Summary
The council approved a project administration agreement and appropriated $1.1 million in Federal Lands Access Program funds to advance a segment of Trail 757 that will connect to Newport News Park; council and staff described the project as part of a multi-jurisdictional effort to connect to the Virginia Capital Trail.
The Newport News City Council on Sept. 9 approved steps to advance the Birthplace of America Trail (Trail 757), including a project administration agreement and a $1.1 million appropriation in federal grant funds for a multi-use path segment that will link to Newport News Park.
City staff told the council that Trail 757 is a multi-jurisdiction project to create a continuous multi-use route across the Virginia Peninsula and connect to the Virginia Capital Trail. The manager said available grants have allowed individual localities to construct segments as funding becomes available; the actions approved on Sept. 9 will help the city build the segment from Newport News Park south to the Pocahontas Parkway and create connectivity to James City County and Williamsburg.
The council adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a standard project administration agreement for the Trail 757 project and approved a separate resolution appropriating $1,100,000 in FY2026 Federal Highway Federal Lands Access Program grant funds to the project budget. Council members voted 7-0 on both measures.
During discussion, Councilwoman Tina Big asked when construction would start and when the trail would reach Newport News Park. The city manager and a staff member named Brian said the trail has been planned over several years; construction timing depends on segment-specific funding and the maturation of federal and state grants. The manager noted there is no single source of funding to build the entire Peninsula route at once and that localities proceed as funds are secured.
Why it matters: the appropriated federal funds and the project administration agreement allow the city to move from planning to project delivery steps for the Newport News segment of Trail 757. The project is intended to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and link Newport News to a broader cross-peninsula trail network.
Next steps: staff will execute the administration agreement, record the appropriation in the project budget, and move forward with procurement and design work as permitted by grant conditions. Council did not set specific construction start dates at the meeting.
Ending: Councilmembers described the trail as a multi-year, multi-jurisdiction effort; the city will return to council with procurement, contract awards and schedule details as they are available.
