One unassuming paragraph in Connecticut’s 2022 legislation will have a big impact on the state’s bike routes and multiuse trails. In the short 2022 legislative session, House Bill 5255, proposed by Connecticut’s Department of Transportation (CT DOT), was passed and signed into law. Four lines of text give the state more options to close gaps in urban and regional multiuse trails. The “Rail with Trail” language gives the CT DOT the choice to unhitch railroad companies from undue liability so cities and towns can pursue unused rail corridor width as parallel multiuse trails. The design of the multiuse trails would include fences and gates when necessary to prevent unsafe use of the still active rail bed.
