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Town of Gray to Mark Village Area Loop Trail Expansion with Ceremony

Join Town staff, the public, and invited guests on November 3 at 9 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Posted on: October 20, 2023 - 10:38am
VALT Trail
The VALT Design.

UPDATE 11/3/23: You can watch the ceremony and walkthrough of the expansion now on YouTube!

The Town of Gray invites the public to celebrate the expansion of the Village Area Loop Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, November 3, 2023, at 9 a.m.

This event will recognize the parties involved in making the new “gateway segment” of the trail possible, and help spread the word that it’s now open for the public to enjoy.

The Town will host the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the entrance to the new trail segment, just north of the crosswalk in front of the Pennell Municipal Complex. Participants will be invited to walk the trail together following brief remarks.

The Village Area Loop Trail (VALT) is a combination of stone dust and paved trails that connect to sidewalks, providing a pedestrian pathway through the village area.

The Town’s 2014 Gray Bike-Pedestrian Plan envisioned the VALT and construction began in 2016, with the help of a Maine Recreational Trails Program grant of $31,088.

Phase 1A included the loop around the Town Hall recreation complex. Phase 1B included installation of the paved connector between Hancock Street and the plaza shopping center, completed in the Spring of 2017. As part of the trail creation, the town made sidewalk improvements along Brown Street and added a new crosswalk from Hancock across Route 115 to Brown Street. The connector behind the Cumberland Farms was completed in 2018.

Now, thanks to a $66,877 Community Development Block Grant from Cumberland County, the Town is celebrating completion of the new trail leg that goes around the perimeter of the town-owned “gateway” property on Main Street. 

Several community members provided input for the trail extension design during the planning process, and the Town will be seeking additional participation from community groups that are interested in helping to beautify and add amenities to the trail.

For more information, please contact Community Planner Kristen Muszynski in the Community Development office, 657-3112.