Earth Day was Thursday and Adrian Mapp, Darlene McWilliams, City Administrator Bibi Taylor, Plainfield Planning Director Bill Nierstadt, yours truly and members of the news media converged on the Green Brook on the western border of Plainfield. We were there to celebrate a $229,000 NJ Dept of Transportation grant to begin construction of a multi-use trail along the brook. The Green Brook Trail project originated during the second term of late Mayor Al McWilliams and it was fitting that Darlene was present at the soon to be trailhead on Jefferson Ave.
Al McWilliams had the vision to pick up on the original 1920's concept created by the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederic Law Olmsted, planner of NYC's Central Park. It has taken 7 years of planning, grant writing and designing to get us poised for action. April Stefel and Bill Nierstadt deserve much thanks for their efforts over the years. Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has kept the vision alive and it was a shame that she was not available to join us.
It must be mentioned that Adrian Mapp, Bill Nierstadt and I rode our bikes down Myrtle Ave which runs parallel to the brook and trail route. Check out the Courier News photograph above to learn which law-abiding cyclist had his helmet on.
