Long before the Coast to Coast Connector, a dedicated group of trail enthusiasts dreamed of connecting their hometown of Brooksville to nearby communities in Hernando and Pasco counties via the Good Neighbor Trail (GNT). Thanks to advanced funding from FDOT and now the funding to connect the trail to the 275-mile C2C, this 10-mile GNT trail looks to make its debut in a little more than two years. The GNT begins in downtown Brooksville (about 50 miles north of Tampa), winds through the Withlacoochee State Forest, and ultimately connects to the Withlacoochee State Trail. See map.
Steve Diez, a transportation planner with the Hernando-Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization, has led these trail enthusiasts – the Good Neighbor Trail Advisory Committee – for 13 years. “The GNT has always been an important trail, connecting bikers and walkers to downtown,” said Diez, “Now that it is part of the C2C, this will have significant impact on our small-town by introducing visitors to the amazing recreation and outdoor wonders of this part of Hernando County.”
Members of the Good Neighbor Trail Advisory Committee in Brooksville,
including Steve Diez (left, wearing sunglasses).
The hard work of the GNT committee doesn’t stop with the completion of the Good Neighbor Trail. To fully close in the Good Neighbor Gap for the C2C, an additional 6-mile, unnamed section to extend the GNT west to the Sun Coast Trail is needed. The Hernando County C2C funding will be used for a feasibility study to determine the corridor alignment, which will most likely be along SR 50. Once determined, the gap will need construction funding. To follow the progress of the Good Neighbor Gap and GNT committee, please visit their website.
