I didn't notice this the last time I biked through, this weekend.

did it ever occur to any of you that there is a lot going on in that area that you will never fully understand. that bike trail is a bad thing waiting to happen for someone who is unfamiliar with the situations going on around there. it is a sad thing but it is true and as a life long resident of newhallville i personally knew it would be a problem when i noticed it being run through shelton ave

I have never experienced any concerning behavior on the trail. I'm sure most neighbors in newhallville don't want people to be scared of the place where they live and raise there kids either.
If u live in newhallville don't u want something that provides safe access for kids to downtown and the rest of the city.
Not doing anything about the quality of life in your own neighborhood seems like a worse idea than a trail.

Parks will remove this blight!!!

My last trip on the canal trail, in New Haven, may be my last trip on the canal trail, in New Haven. Some of the bollards preventing auto/truck traffic from entering the trail have been ripped from their foundations; the trail is no longer smooth, do to tree root encroachment; the plaques on the pylons, at the trail entrances appear to have been ripped out (sold for scrap?); there was "gun" and death/killing graffiti at various points, broken glass on the trail, garbage lining the trail, and a charming group of youth who flicked their cigarette butts at my face, as I rode by, as they called out "bike @#$%!" I did see one other bicyclist, two guys pushing shopping carts, a drunk and one person who appeared to have multiple "issues". Altogether an unpleasant experience - feeling isolated in one of the worst neighborhoods in New Haven. Really a shame; I felt safer dealing with the cars on Whitney Ave. This was on a Wednesday afternoon...

That sucks that we can't have a decent place to enjoy. Even if it is new haven. Thanks for keeping me posted. Ill think twice before heading that way...

That's odd. I rode the canal trail about 3 hours ago and had a pleasant experience. (np, was the other cyclist you saw wearing a yellow jacket, by chance? I wonder if it was me!) The plaques haven't been installed yet on the newly opened part of the trail between Shelton Ave and the town line. Their absence didn't really bother me.

I was more miffed by the fact that the crosswalks are infinitely better on the Hamden side of the town line than on the New Haven side.

I rode through this Sunday afternoon (Prospect Place to Sherman Ave roundtrip) and was one of a dozen cyclists and pedestrians using the trail for its intended purpose. It was safe and friendly--partly because of all the people out. (A big thanks to the man on his lap back north who waited to start with me at Prospect Place, warned me about some glass near Brewster St., and didn't drop me until we were into the less isolated Hamden section.)

If people are scared away from using the trail because it's seen as unsafe, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy as less and less people use the trail and it therefore becomes...unsafe. I recommend going out with friends, and during the day (8am-2pm). You'll see commuters, cyclists, and neighborhood folks all using the trail for recreation, errands, or a safe road to work.

For what it's worth, I've cycled the trail alone myself (and I'm a small, not-scary-looking female) dozens of times without incident other than (rarely) the same kind of catcalls I get walking downtown.

P.S. The emblems are indeed "missing" from the sections of the trail that just opened this autumn--I'm wondering if this because they simply haven't been placed yet. (I don't know.)

Judging from the two assaults I've read about, I would say that the lack of safety is more than a perception... My experience was during the daytime (as stated in my post). The fence separating the trail from businesses, on the Hamden section of the trail seems pointless (I saw a young couple pushing a shopping cart full of groceries - which makes sense to me) - otherwise it feels to me like I'm riding in a cattle chute... Encouraging businesses to face (or acknowledge) the trail and adjacent streets, or having paved paths to some of the strip malls might be a welcome respite from the hamster tunnel effect, open the trail up, and make it less isolated and more functional. Regular maintenance will be necessary, otherwise bad pavement and flat tires will keep people away.

If the graffiti is still there or has reappeared, this ticket should be reopened. Just click reopen at the top and provide the approximate location, if known.

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