Designs are expected to help with future construction funding to support regional connectivity
05/14/2026 WILTON, CT TSX, NYSE: STN
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) has selected Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, to provide routing and design services for the Western Connecticut Regional Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Project (the Western CT Regional Trail Project). The Western CT Regional Trail Project will advance planning and design for a connected regional trail network spanning Western Connecticut, linking Norwalk, CT to neighboring New York. Specifically, it will connect the Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT), Still River Greenway (SRG), Maybrook Trail, and New Milford River Trail (NMRT) encompassing over 55 miles of trail.
This a multi-municipality bicycle and pedestrian initiative supported through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Recreational Trails Program. The effort is intended to unify existing trail segments, close critical gaps, and create a continuous, safe, and accessible transportation and recreation corridor for communities across the region. Stantec will lead delivery of routing studies, permitting, and design for the trail, positioning the project for future construction funding.
“This project represents a significant step forward in creating a truly regional multi-use trail system that serves residents, connects communities, and expands access to outdoor recreation and alternative transportation,” said Kristin Floberg at WestCOG. “The RAISE and Recreational Trails grant allows us to think bigger, linking municipalities, filling long-standing gaps, and creating a cohesive network that benefits the entire region.”
The Western CT Regional Trail Project was shaped during the competitive federal grant process and emphasizes regional connectivity across municipalities; an approach that is often difficult to achieve through local funding alone. The project will connect approximately 55 miles of multi-use trails between Norwalk, Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, Danbury, Brookfield, and New Milford in Western Connecticut. The trail network will follow river corridors, link parks and schools, and provide access to transit stations, supporting both recreation and everyday mobility. Public outreach is a core component of the project, with planning and advisory committee meetings and community engagement activities scheduled throughout the project’s lifecycle.
“Rather than advancing individual trail segments in isolation, we brought them together under a single, regional vision,” said Philip Katz, senior associate for Transportation at Stantec. “Bundling the trails together allows us to show how this project connects towns and creates meaningful access to transportation and recreation for communities across the region—exactly the kind of impact this grant was designed to support.”
Stantec has a long history of supporting parks and trail expansion across North America. The company led design of the Quequechan River Rail Trail in Massachusetts, a project that converted a former railroad corridor along the river into a shared-use trail for bikes and pedestrians. Stantec is also providing civil design and traffic engineering services for the Miami Underline in Miami, FL, a multiuse pathway underneath the Miami Metrorail. The firm led design on the Newmarket Trailhead Park and Trail System in Ontario, which saw the development of a new public park and series of trails connecting the community.
Learn more about parks and recreation design at Stantec.
About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.
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Media Contact
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Stantec Media Relations
Ph: (509) 957-5262
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