St. John’s is at the Heart of New Community Trail
A collaboration between local municipalities nearly two decades in the making was officially unveiled this morning at a ceremony held on the northwest corner of Brickstone by St. John’s. The Highland Crossing Trail– a project first proposed in 2003– officially opened with a ribbon-cutting for a major connecting path between Elmwood Avenue and Westfall Road. Both the city of Rochester and the town of Brighton worked together on funding and logistics for the trail, which now runs from Highland Park in Rochester through Brighton to the Erie Canalway and Genesee Riverway trails.
City and town officials agree that this new trail is an important new thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the area. This includes Brickstone residents, many of whom have been anticipating this new connection that runs just west of the independent living community. “For health and sustainability, trails like this are going to be really important for the future of our community,” said Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle. “But this project really is about connecting people,” he added while mentioning running into Brickstone residents Chuck and Deanna Krusenstjerna during a recent walkthrough.
Supervisor Moehle and city officials also stressed the importance of this trail for use by commuters. The opening of the Highland Crossing Trail makes points throughout Brighton and the city of Rochester more accessible by bicycle to those who work in the area and live in other parts of Monroe County. One such occasional commuter is St. John’s Vice President of Senior Housing Paul Bartlett, who rides his bike from his home in Fairport to work and back about once a week during the warmer months. Bartlett echoes the completion of this project as a milestone that further integrates the Brickstone and St. John’s Meadows communities into the surrounding towns and neighborhoods. “I know our residents are excited to walk the trail, take advantage of all it has to offer, and meet new friends,” he said.
