An important goal for the trail is to be as accessible for all users as topography allows. Branford resident Marian Altman, a wheelchair user, volunteered to try out our trails, assess how well we meet that goal, and make suggestions for how we could improve. Her full report on wheelchair accessibility is below.
Hello. My name is Marian and my husband, Mark, and I are relatively new to Branford, having arrived last summer. I have MS and am in a manual wheelchair now. I also use a small electric wheelchair outdoors for longer distances and rougher terrain.
Last summer was very busy with the move and getting settled in. It wasn’t until the fall that we discovered the wonderful Shoreline Greenway Trolley Trail, which is near our house. What a nice surprise to know that some local trails in Branford can be traversed with wheelchairs. We followed the Trolley Trail with my adult children, who were visiting from out of town, and we managed to get to Stony Creek from the Tilcon Road end of the trail. A parking lot for the trail is on Tilcon Road. The trail is level throughout.
There are a few obstacles on this trail, however. One side of each bridge (there are two) requires a step up or down. They are not handicapped friendly. My boys were able to lift up my chair so I could continue on the trail. Some other areas had uneven surfaces, but were passable. These situations prompted me to inquire of the Town of Branford if or when the problem areas could be addressed and modified. I was told that the Town received some State funds and would investigate the possibly of making this trail totally wheelchair accessible in 2025.
I also learned, after meeting with the heads of the Shoreline Greenway Trail and the Branford Pedestrian Advisory Committee, of other accessible trails that I could try in my chair. One is the Madison Greenway Trail at Hammonasset, and the other is the Tabor Trail off Tabor Road in Branford.
The Hammonasset Trail is beautiful and runs from the parking lot off Boston Post Road (just past the entrance to the State Park heading east) along the entrance drive and through the wooded property to the right of the entrance. For wheelchair users, there are some small hills through the wooded areas. Most manual chair users will need to be pushed up the hills. I used my electric chair on this trail so it was fine for me alone. The trail is wide and well packed sand and gravel so it is a very nice ride. It ends at Liberty Street, at which point I turned around and returned to the parking lot. There is a good description of this trail on the Shoreline Greenway Trail website.
The Shoreline Greenway Tabor Trail is off Tabor Drive in Branford. The trailhead has a parking lot with handicapped spots and the trail is clearly marked. The great thing about this trail is that it is totally accessible and it is paved. The route is very pretty and goes along a pond and is level and obstacle free. Again, at the the end I turned around and returned to the car. I should mention that those who need to use electric scooters for mobility are also welcome on all trails.
I plan to explore other trails this spring. I am told there may be some Branford Town trails that are accessible and I look forward to trying them. I will report back with what I find. We are fortunate that we have these trail systems in our beautiful Shoreline towns and the people who care about designing and maintaining them. A big Thank You to them.
Marian Altman