The Maine Department of Transportation must “justify” development of bicycle trails in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties because MDOT uses federal funds.

That’s backwards.

MDOT should have to justify not developing trails with every major project.

Martin Rooney, MDOT planner, presented an overview of upcoming transportation projects in the tri-county region last week. A number of people from the Mexico-Rumford area asked pointed questions about MDOT’s plans to pave shoulders on major and minor arterials to improve safety for cyclists, walkers and runners.

MDOT, which considers shoulder safety on paved roads, assured the group that when Route 17, for instance, is improved, it will have 3- to 4-foot-wide paved shoulders. The shoulders on portions of Route 2 will be much wider, as much as 8 feet, because it’s part of the National Highway System.

The wider shoulders provide a safety cushion for bikes and pedestrians and make it easier to plow snow.

The alternative to wider shoulders is building off-road trails parallel to major thoroughfares, but that’s the kind of project MDOT must justify. Why?

Biking and pedestrian trails, which double for cross-country and snowshoe use during winter, are not experimental. Across this country, cities with urban and rural trails leverage these amenities for community and economic development. New York City. Kansas City. Schenectady. Minneapolis-St. Paul. Milwaukee. Anchorage.

Consider the trail along the Androscoggin River in Brunswick. Organizers initially battled some heavy taxpayer resistance on cost, but since the trail opened it has been heavily used and considered a model of community development.

There are other examples of good trail development, but not many in Maine.

While there is an elaborate trail system for motorized vehicles here, there are very few extended trails for non-motorized sports.

As a result of last week’s meeting, MDOT knows there is interest in trail construction in the Rumford-Mexico and Farmington areas. In the Twin Cities, interest is building to augment the short trail connecting the downtowns, including development of the existing lane along the Androscoggin River behind Marden’s and expansion of the trail from Franklin Pasture to the Riverfront Park Bikeway.

A number of feasibility studies throughout the tri-county area have already been completed by the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, but developing trails is tough work when USDOT takes the view that these projects must be justified.

The justification is that trails increase tourism revenue and improve health.

Trails, many of which could be built on abandoned railroad beds, should be considered just one more prong in our tourism industry and one more element in Maine’s public health initiative to increase physical activity and fitness.

These projects are expensive, but the economic benefit for Maine is already more than $66.8 million annually so it makes sense to continue development. Especially since local citizens don’t have to pay the entire tab. There are a number of block grants available and most trail clubs are enthusiastic fund-raisers.

The benefits are so obvious, justification is illogical.


jmeyer@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link