Rail Trail timeline

[Maya Lena]

https://www.pressherald.com/2022/02/02/westbrook-windham-rail-trail-moves-forward/?fbclid=IwAR0RzgWIYXp1bLyHgCCzfUVAItHrpRWgaLs3uzUQaN5GroyS9M8LvHqAy7M

This article is from early Feb but I was just rereading it. The director of the Presumpscot River Land Trust is quoted saying that the Westbrook Windham section will take 5-10 years to be built. The article also says that this plan was thought up in the 90s. The 90s were 30 years ago!

What is the hold up with these sorts of projects? Why is this acceptable? How can we put pressure to get projects like this, that would benefit so many people, to be fast tracked/prioritized?

-Maya

[Winston Lumpkins]

I mean, I don't know. 

But, clearly it's because it's not prioritized.  We spend so much money on car highways, car roads etc that a project like this seems cheap in comparison.  Like, over the last 30 years, or the 50 it might take till this is completed, how many times have they re-paved 302? 

I've ridden to Fryeburg several times to get to the white mountains- it's best to take 26 and then backroads, or 302  because at least it has a shoulder...  but it's very difficult to get there without adding significant mileage. I've settled on just doing it at night & timing the worst sections of road for between midnight & 5 am, when even the truck traffic is very rare. 

Like, by the time the mountain division trail opens & it's only 50 very easy miles to get to the white mountains, will I still think of 50 miles as easy?   Maybe, cycling is pretty age friendly. 

I mean, the eastern trail's "Close the Gap'' has been funded for years, and is still mostly motionless as far as I can tell. I think some of that had to do with the pandemic, but it would just be so nice if there was even one trail like that leading out of Portland. 

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[John Clark]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Maya. For some reason, I was under the impression that this project would be completed within the next two or three years, so it's incredibly frustrating to hear how long it will take. I'm no DOT employee or engineer, so I'm not sure the technical reasons it may take this long for a 5-ish mile stretch, but it as a citizen, it definitely appears to be a lack of prioritization. 

From my understanding, South Windham and Little Falls are going to see significant development soon due to the proximity to Portland and Westbrook. Despite the proximity, it's a cut-off area of the region with no public transit and the most direct route being River Road (something I've yet to brave on a bike). If the state actually took climate and transportation goals seriously, they'd put in this segment before all this new develop goes in. 

I'd like to hear from someone with a little more knowledge of this type of rail trail development to get a better idea of why these projects take so long, and like you asked, how we can put pressure to get these done in a more reasonable time frame.

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[Nikki Anderson]

Thanks for talking about these timelines- at the first meeting of PBPAC I ever attending around 2009 the city staff were still referencing studies from the 90s, maybe they still are... It's just so slow moving! I was shocked to see the recent DOT meetings being described as planning for 2050. That is SO far away- just go ahead and do the math to figure out how old you will be then. I had to do it twice to make sure it was corect- how do we plan this way?!

In the time it takes to wait for these projects so many more pedestrians will get hurt, and moreso many many more will not even try to walk or bike because it's deemed unsafe. We need action on this stuff now! 

Thanks for bringing this up Maya and your thoughtful replies Winston and John.

Nikki 

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[Derek M. Strout]

Yes, thanks Maya for keeping this discussion alive. I’m new to PBPAC but have been the GIS Specialist at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (railstotrails.org) for a few years now. While I’m excited that there is a formal effort to assess the four state-owned corridors and the Bayside to Libbytown trail seems like it will soon be a reality, I share in the frustration at the pace of projects like this across the country. I hesitate to offer misinformed opinions on possible culprits, but I’m more than happy to connect you all with colleagues who live and breathe this stuff. Obviously, all projects are unique, but I think it’s safe to say there are some common threads.

Derek

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[Derek M. Strout]

Good morning,

I received this announcement from the Mountain Division Alliance yesterday. Find the feasibility study attached.

Thanks,

Derek

Big news, the one chance the public has to give feedback as part of MaineDOT's process to assess if the Mountain Division rail line should be converted to a trail from Standish to Fryeburg is next week. And your help is needed now: 

1. Can you attend the virtual meeting next Thursday 3/31 6pm - 7:30pm? If so please click here to register for the public meeting and please also email me to let me know so we know who to expect will attend. Having you and as many people as possible joining the public meeting and giving a quick statement that you support converting the unused rail into a trail will be critical. 

2. Can you email everyone you know who also wants to see the unused rail line be converted to a trail and ask them to also register for the public meeting and also give a very quick statement of support for the trail. Priority people are those who live in the towns along/near the rail trail so everyone west of Portland to the NH border.

3. We will be putting the message out on facebook shortly, so if you use facebook you can also spread the message to friends via facebook too.

4. I have included the updated feasibility study which includes economic benefits which DOT hired a consulting firm to complete. It is very high level but gives enough information to clearly show that converting the rail to trail is a great opportunity and investment for the region. 

Meeting Details

MaineDOT will host a live presentation followed by a Question-and-Answer period to discuss the ongoing efforts of Mountain Division Rail Use Advisory Council (Council).The purpose of the Council is to facilitate discussion, gather information and provide advice to the MaineDOT commissioner regarding future use of the rail corridor. You do not need to be an expert on this subject, your advice can simply be that you would like to see Maine DOT allow the unused rail to become a trail for the public to enjoy.

**When you give your short statement of support for converting the rail into a trail please also have one short reason, whatever reason matters most to you, having a variety of reasons helps build the case. Also, just as a reminder, converting the rail to trail is a temporary decision, the state always has the option to convert the trail back to rail if there ever is a real need for rail again. That is important for everyone to know in case you have anyone ask you that question (as you are inviting others to speak at the public meeting). If you have other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. For more background see the Mountain Division Alliance Website and facebook page.

Thank you all for your involvement in helping to expand the Mountain Division trail,

Mountain Division Alliance Leadership