This Week's Column – By Zack Anchors
Getting there from here
One of the most respected publisher’s of travel guides, Frommer’s, recently declared Portland as one of the top 12 travel destinations in the world, a distinction that places it alongside such regions as Asheville, N. C., Minneapolis, Minn., Ethiopia and Krakow, Poland. Among the reasons that Frommer’s cited for Portland making the list was the off-road trail that connects downtown Portland to Brunswick and the presence in Portland of Bowdoin College and the University of Maine. Some rookie intern at Frommer’s was clearly a little sloppy in their research, because we all know that there is no such trail and that neither Bowdoin nor UMaine are within 25 miles of Portland. But wouldn’t it be nice if Frommer’s were right? A few weeks ago I used this column to make the claim that a college like UMaine or Bowdoin should be in Portland, but that’s a long stretch and I won’t bother repeating it again. But what about an extensive off-road trail that runs along the coastal corridor of Maine? Thanks to the hard work of folks at the Eastern Trail Alliance and other organizations, that dream feature may be much more attainable than a top-notch university. Instead of Frommer’s fantasy trail from Portland to Brunswick, though, if there is an actual trail like that anytime soon, it will head in the other direction – from Portland to Old Orchard Beach and eventually Kittery.
When it is completed, the Eastern Trail will be a 55-mile off-road trail crossing southern Maine that will connect with the East Coast Greenway, which is planned to follow the Atlantic coast from Key West, Fla. to Calais, Maine. Over the last several years, substantial sections of the Eastern Trail have been built and are now being used every day, but until some of the most critical links in the trail are completed, the trail’s real potential won’t be realized. Imagine if a family that lived in Pine Point could ride their bikes into South Portland for the day to check out the Harbor Museum or catch a show at the Portland Players. Or if a group of teenagers who live in Portland or South Portland could ride their bikes to Old Orchard Beach for the day. There are also many residents of towns like Scarborough who could commute to work on the trail to jobs in Portland. And the region would draw more and more of the increasingly common tourists with bikes, who would rather see the sights by pedal power than deal with the congested traffic surrounding Route One. The trail could be used for walking or horseback riding and when there’s enough snow people could cross-country ski on it.
This trail would also address in some way many of the challenges facing our state and nation: it could help alleviate traffic congestion; it could help our severely overweight population get more exercise, it could reduce our dependence on oil, it would draw a type of tourist that studies have shown tend to spend lots of money during their visit and it would provide a means of transportation for people who cannot afford, or are not willing to pay, the high costs of motorized transportation. Besides all that, it would offer countless recreational opportunities and generally improve the quality of life for anyone who lives nearby it.
And now, an engineering and feasibility report released a few weeks ago by the Eastern Trail Alliance lays out clearly how it could happen. The report describes several different options for a connection on the trail between Scarborough and South Portland. Once that section is completed, along with a section between Old Orchard Beach and Pine Point that is already going forward, the trail will provide a complete link between South Portland and Old Orchard Beach. But to go forward with that connector between the Nonesuch River and Waignright Fields, at least $1.2 million will be needed. That may seem like a lot, but compared to many road improvement projects that have gone forward in recent years, it’s not much. South Portland is currently seeking out nearly three times that much money just to create a southbound on-ramp for I-295’s exit four and Scarborough is planning to put several million dollars into road improvements to the Oak Hill area.
It would be a very worthwhile investment for South Portland and Scarborough to contribute municipal funds to the construction of the trail, but ideally, funding would stem from federal transportation legislation. Maine’s congressional delegation should make a serious push for such funding and area residents who want the trail finished should let them know how important it is. Earmarking the Eastern Trail in the next federal transportation bill would not be another outrageously costly pork barrel measure so common in Washington, but a sensible investment in the future of the region.
One of the most respected publisher’s of travel guides, Frommer’s, recently declared Portland as one of the top 12 travel destinations in the world, a distinction that places it alongside such regions as Asheville, N. C., Minneapolis, Minn., Ethiopia and Krakow, Poland. Among the reasons that Frommer’s cited for Portland making the list was the off-road trail that connects downtown Portland to Brunswick and the presence in Portland of Bowdoin College and the University of Maine. Some rookie intern at Frommer’s was clearly a little sloppy in their research, because we all know that there is no such trail and that neither Bowdoin nor UMaine are within 25 miles of Portland. But wouldn’t it be nice if Frommer’s were right? A few weeks ago I used this column to make the claim that a college like UMaine or Bowdoin should be in Portland, but that’s a long stretch and I won’t bother repeating it again. But what about an extensive off-road trail that runs along the coastal corridor of Maine? Thanks to the hard work of folks at the Eastern Trail Alliance and other organizations, that dream feature may be much more attainable than a top-notch university. Instead of Frommer’s fantasy trail from Portland to Brunswick, though, if there is an actual trail like that anytime soon, it will head in the other direction – from Portland to Old Orchard Beach and eventually Kittery.
When it is completed, the Eastern Trail will be a 55-mile off-road trail crossing southern Maine that will connect with the East Coast Greenway, which is planned to follow the Atlantic coast from Key West, Fla. to Calais, Maine. Over the last several years, substantial sections of the Eastern Trail have been built and are now being used every day, but until some of the most critical links in the trail are completed, the trail’s real potential won’t be realized. Imagine if a family that lived in Pine Point could ride their bikes into South Portland for the day to check out the Harbor Museum or catch a show at the Portland Players. Or if a group of teenagers who live in Portland or South Portland could ride their bikes to Old Orchard Beach for the day. There are also many residents of towns like Scarborough who could commute to work on the trail to jobs in Portland. And the region would draw more and more of the increasingly common tourists with bikes, who would rather see the sights by pedal power than deal with the congested traffic surrounding Route One. The trail could be used for walking or horseback riding and when there’s enough snow people could cross-country ski on it.
This trail would also address in some way many of the challenges facing our state and nation: it could help alleviate traffic congestion; it could help our severely overweight population get more exercise, it could reduce our dependence on oil, it would draw a type of tourist that studies have shown tend to spend lots of money during their visit and it would provide a means of transportation for people who cannot afford, or are not willing to pay, the high costs of motorized transportation. Besides all that, it would offer countless recreational opportunities and generally improve the quality of life for anyone who lives nearby it.
And now, an engineering and feasibility report released a few weeks ago by the Eastern Trail Alliance lays out clearly how it could happen. The report describes several different options for a connection on the trail between Scarborough and South Portland. Once that section is completed, along with a section between Old Orchard Beach and Pine Point that is already going forward, the trail will provide a complete link between South Portland and Old Orchard Beach. But to go forward with that connector between the Nonesuch River and Waignright Fields, at least $1.2 million will be needed. That may seem like a lot, but compared to many road improvement projects that have gone forward in recent years, it’s not much. South Portland is currently seeking out nearly three times that much money just to create a southbound on-ramp for I-295’s exit four and Scarborough is planning to put several million dollars into road improvements to the Oak Hill area.
It would be a very worthwhile investment for South Portland and Scarborough to contribute municipal funds to the construction of the trail, but ideally, funding would stem from federal transportation legislation. Maine’s congressional delegation should make a serious push for such funding and area residents who want the trail finished should let them know how important it is. Earmarking the Eastern Trail in the next federal transportation bill would not be another outrageously costly pork barrel measure so common in Washington, but a sensible investment in the future of the region.
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