One of the most respected publisher’s of travel
guides—Frommer’s—recently declared Portland as one of the top twelve
travel destinations in the world, a distinction that places it
alongside such regions as Asheville, North Carolina, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, 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 fifty 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 planned to follow the Atlantic Coast from Key
West, Florida 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.