President Richard C. Levin announced recently that the section of the old Farmington Canal running through the campus would be made available for the Rails to Trails project.
"We support the Rails to Trails project, we hope that it can be built, and we are happy to contribute to the success of a recreational asset to be enjoyed by the entire community," Levin said. New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., who joined Levin in making the announcement, thanked the President as well as Bruce Alexander, vice president and director of New Haven and state affairs, and Linda Koch Lorimer, vice president and University secretary, for working with the city constructively on the project.
Sections of the recreational trail have been completed in Cheshire and Hamden, and the University will grant easements to route the trail along the canal when other sections of the trail running to downtown New Haven are completed.
"We have performed a thorough review of how best to accommodate the trail by Yale," Levin said. "Mindful of the desire on the part of many for the trail to follow the canal route, Yale has determined that it can help fulfill that goal while meeting its future needs for academic facilities. We are grateful to Mayor DeStefano for encouraging us to find a way to reconcile our building plans with bike trail access for the entire community."
Although Yale's development plans for its canal property have not been finalized, academic facilities could be constructed that span the below-grade canal. The canal traverses Yale from Prospect Street to Temple Street.