Although open since the completion of construction in September, the Monticello Avenue multi-use trail officially received a blessing from city and William & Mary officials.
That was in a way of a ribbon-cutting on Thursday.
Williamsburg Mayor Doug Pons and William & Mary President Katherine Rowe spoke to a crowd that included members of local cycling and running clubs, including BikeWalk Williamsburg, Colonial Road Runners, Williamsburg Area Bicyclists, and Virginia Capital Trail Foundation.
“This trail is going to benefit citizens and students for years to come. It is a safe way for people to travel and explore our city in an exciting and special way. Thank you to everyone with the city who made this possible. I look forward to more collaborations like this,” Rowe said during the ceremony.
The trail makes it safer for William & Mary students, pedestrians, runners and cyclists to travel between midtown and New Town, according to a news release from the city.
In 2019, the Road Runners Club of America designated Williamsburg a Runner- Friendly Community; in 2017, the League of American Cyclists named Williamsburg a Bicycle-Friendly Community.
Construction of the trail is part of a larger reconfiguration that is happening in the Midtown area of the city.
Midtown Row is the transformation of the Williamsburg and Monticello Shopping Centers into a mixed-use development that will include apartments, shopping, dining and entertainment, city officials said.
Street improvements along Monticello Avenue are designed to coordinate with the trail and include a two-way separated bike lane with which the trail connects.
“The Monticello Avenue Multi-Use Trail is a beautiful amenity added to the Midtown corridor. The transformation sets up the City for new and exciting successes for decades to come,” Pons said in a prepared statement.
The city was awarded a $1 million grant for the nearly $1.6 million project to construct the multi-use trail.
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