Naugatuck River Greenway and Park

I finally made time to visit the new park and greenway in the South End. The park is small, but delightful. The greenway is a work in progress, a 2.2 mile stretch of roadway now marked for bicycles which will eventually become part of a 44 mile greenway trail running from Derby to Litchfield. The new greenway in Waterbury runs from Bristol Street on Platts Mill Road, then up South Main Street to Eagle Street.

 

Camp or Platt Park

While some information about the park during its development referred to it as Camp Park, and the trail map at the park refers to it as Camp Park, it looks like the City has decided to name it Platt Park. The land for the park was donated by Miriam Camp Niederman. The Camp family married into the Platt family during the late 1800s. The Platt Brothers and Company, which has been in operation since 1797, is just down the road from the park.

The seven-acre park is designed for a variety of uses. There are picnic tables, bike racks, a mini outdoor theater, a short nature trail, and a spot to put your canoe in the river.

 

The nature trail and the river are accessed via a flight of stairs. Once you're down the stairs, the sound of cars and trucks on the roadway fades into the background and the air is filled with the sound of birds singing. It's like an oasis in an asphalt desert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The spot for putting your canoe or kayak in the water is very rocky. I don't think it can be done without getting your feet wet, unless you're really good at balancing on rocks!

The city's sewage treatment plant is on the other side of the river, hidden behind all the vegetation.

A tiger swallowtail was flitting about the shore while I was there. It held still just barely long enough for me to take its picture.

The nature trail includes a number of seating areas, including one that references the Native American artifacts found at the site during construction.

 

 

 

I saw many types of flowers in bloom throughout the park.

The Greenway Trail

I been using the Farmington Canal greenway for more than twenty years, wishing there was a greenway in Waterbury. We're closer to having one, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Greenways are typically built one small section at a time. When I first started using the Farmington Canal greenway, it was much shorter than it is now. It took years for it to be completed. I've now ridden my bicycle on the greenway from Plainville to New Haven.

The Farmington Canal greenway is very family friendly. The trail is carefully protected from motor vehicles, so the only time you have to worry about a collision is when you cross a street. The greenway gets a lot of use from families with young children.

Waterbury's greenway is very different. There are no barriers to stop cars from driving onto the greenway, not even a curb or rumble strip. The greenway is simply part of the existing road converted for bicycles and pedestrians.

On South Main Street, where vehicles typically go 50 mph, there is a small median with trees to help reduce the risk to people using the greenway.

 

The parking lot is the only place where there is a barrier to stop vehicles from entering the trail.

On Platts Mill Road, there are plenty of barriers to stop vehicles from going into the river, but nothing to stop them from going into the greenway. I saw a few trucks driving well over the speed limit while drifting into the white painted median between the road and the trail.

Maybe someday there will be funds available to make this stretch of the greenway safer. In the meantime, though, it's a good start!