Newtown Bike & Trail Committee, in partnership with local volunteers, municipal partners, and the Town’s Economic & Community Development Office, has launched a community fundraising initiative this month, recruiting “Rail-Trail-Blazer” donors. Individual participants are being asked to help raise the final $50,000 needed to complete the first phase of Newtown’s Pequonnock Rail Trail extension.

Excitement for this long-awaited project has already inspired several donors including Brautigam Land Surveyors, GRC Construction, and Lenahan Land Clearing & Grinding Inc to contribute $117,000 in funds and in-kind services. A separate grant from the Newtown Board of Realtors recently added another $6,000 toward the fundraising effort.

While organizers will officially launch the “Rail-Trail-Blazer” campaign to raise the remaining $50,000 during the 2026 Newtown Earth Day Celebration at Newtown Middle School, Saturday, April 25, the donor portal has already opened to jumpstart the effort. Readers can visit tinyurl.com/NewtownRailTrail to donate.

First Selectman Bruce Walczak says the first segment of Newtown’s rail trail extension is "shaping up to be something special."

“It opens the door for people to come into town, park, enjoy a picnic, and set off on nearly 17 miles of the beautiful Pequonnock River Trail,” Walczak said. “It’s the kind of project that invites people to slow down, explore, and really enjoy what our community has to offer.”

Charles Zukowski, co-chair of Newtown Bike & Trail Committee, added, “Extending the Housatonic Rail Trail from Monroe to a new trailhead on Swamp Road has been a dream of trail enthusiasts in Newtown for decades. The key approvals are finally in place, and the next step is fundraising. I encourage everyone who can to help in that effort.”

John Voket, Newtown Economic & Community Development director, agreed, emphasizing that contributions of any size matter.

“Whether it’s five, fifty, or a few hundred dollars, anyone who has dreams of leashing their dog, lacing up their walking shoes, or getting on a bike in Botsford and exploring points all the way down to Seaside Park in Bridgeport can be part of this history-making effort,” Voket said. “Future plans aim to extend the trail up to Fairfield Hills, and this represents the critical first step in bringing the project across the Monroe border into Newtown.”

The proposed Newtown extension will connect to the existing Pequonnock River Trail, a 16.9 mile mostly flat, multi-use path linking Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe. The trail follows the former Housatonic Railroad line and is already popular for walking, running, and cycling. The Newtown portion will be fully ADA-compliant, featuring smooth, stable surfaces, gentle grades, and accessible entry points for wheelchairs and mobility devices.

Rob Sibley, Newtown’s director of Planning & Land Use, said the county-wide, multi-use trail has been a vision for thousands of partners through the last 30 years.

“Newtown's extension and improvement of that trail honors and expands on that vision,” Sibley noted. “It wonderfully reflects our newly adopted 2024 Newtown Plan of Conservation & Development while supporting regional planning initiatives.”

In a letter of support for a project grant from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Newtown’s State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky and Martin Foncello affirmed that plans to connect the Pequonnock Valley Rail Trail to Newtown are on track for 2026.

“We envision a beautiful greenway for our residents to leisurely, cleanly, and quietly venture; as well as welcoming visitors from beyond to arrive in our communities and state; get to know us, enjoy our hospitality, learn about our history, our artisans; shop, dine, and celebrate music and festivals with us," the lawmakers wrote. "The community is pumped!”

To ensure safety and environmental compliance, the trail alignment near the former Batchelder brownfield site was reviewed in partnership with assigned project partners on DEEP’s Concierge Team, who confirmed that the proposed trail is entirely outside areas of environmental concern.

Greg Carnrick, a Newtown resident and owner of GRC Construction who has been spearheading the project, said, “I never thought I’d see this day — but I’m thrilled it’s finally happening. Volunteers, donors and Newtown Public Works are ready to go, so if residents can help us close the funding gap, the extension will be completed this year.”