Author: Larry Glantz

[Eds. note: This article addresses issues on segments of the East Coast Greenway in Maine, of which the Eastern Trail is a major segment.  It also addresses legislation currently being considered, LD 2124 – “An Act To Create the Rail Corridor Use Advisory Council Process.”  This bill’s passage will set up a process at the Maine Department of Transportation to allow it to consider other uses for rail corridors, such as trails, instead of them continuing to sit idle. It’s passage hopefully will help trails in Maine come to fruition in the future.]

A related article is here.  An advocacy page on LD 2124 can be found here]

By Douglas Rooks,  published March 11, 2020

Since its founding nearly 30 years ago, the East Coast Greenway has sought to create a 3,000-mile bicycle-pedestrian pathway from Key West, Florida, to Calais – a vision fully equal to the Appalachian Trail, whose terminus at Mount Katahdin has become the summit of hiking achievement for generations of outdoors enthusiasts.

Unlike the AT, the Greenway is designed to connect urban population centers, and to become as viable for commuting as shuttles, buses and commuter rails; one of its most successful segments is in the “Research Triangle” around Raleigh, North Carolina, where thousands of cyclists use it daily.

Portland became a focus early on, and was a launching point for an exploratory tour in 1994; a decade later, seven cyclists started from Calais and traveled the entire route in 55 days. Maine, with its relatively wide-open spaces, seems an easy sell for construction of a recreational pathway heavily used by tourists.

But that hasn’t been the case.

The Eastern Trail – which runs 29 miles from Kennebunk to South Portland and includes a highly visible bridge over the Maine Turnpike – is a designated Greenway segment. It follows an active underground natural gas pipeline built on an old railroad right of way, with full support from the pipeline owners.

In other areas, however, trail advocates have run into strong, and sometimes unstinting resistance from passenger rail enthusiasts, who insist that every rail and tie must remain in place – even on abandoned, often state-owned lines.

The crown jewel of potential trail commuter routes in greater Portland is the old St. Lawrence & Atlantic line that runs from downtown Portland across Back Cove, behind the B&M Baked Beans plant and then north to Yarmouth for nine miles. It parallels the Maine Central tracks that host the Amtrak Downeaster, and ended freight service in 2013. Yet suggestions for converting it to trail use remain embryonic.

The forces contending over the future of old rail lines were on full display March 5, during a hearing before the Legislature’s Transportation Committee on LD 2124, a governor’s bill to create a Rail Corridor Use Advisory Council.

Legislative impasse

The late-filed bill was the Department of Transportation’s attempt to resolve deadlocks over two bills concerning other Greenway segments: the Merrymeeting Trail, 25 miles from Topsham to Gardiner (LD 1141), and an extension of the Downeast Sunrise Trail, an 86-mile segment in Hancock and Washington counties, by another 15 miles, from Ayers Junction to the Greenway terminus in Calais.

Sponsors of those bills, Rep. Charlotte Warren, D-Hallowell, and Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Calais, urged adoption of the advisory council as a way of allowing the committee, as Warren put it, “to get out of the middle of the annual railroad/trail arguments.” She called it “the most comprehensive, fair and thorough process” she’s seen.

Moore talked about the positive impact of the Downeast Sunrise Trail – up to $1 million annually – for communities from Ellsworth to Machias that have few other economic opportunities. She said removing rails and rebuilding the railbed, fixing washouts and bridge failures, makes the return of rail service more likely; existing ties and rails would have to be replaced anyway.

Advocates emphasize that trails on state “railbanked” corridors are interim uses, and that – should trains prove feasible – must be relocated. Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais, pointed to Denton, Texas, where such a trail was moved when a new freight line was opened.

Read the entire article online (Portland Phoenix) here.

[Eds. note: The Eastern Trail is featured in this local television spot starting at approx. 3:34 and ending about 6:10. The show covers both the Gap Tracks UNE wildlife study on the Eastern Trail, as well as the Close the Gap campaign. You can view the spot here.]

On this episode of “Total Maine with Steve Minich,” as work to complete another section of the Eastern Trail bike path gets underway, it’s given a University of New England professor the chance to study the local wildlife in an interesting way.

You can access the video here.

The program originally aired on February 22, 2020.

Mirage News, February 5, 2020

Noah Perlut, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies, recently met up with WMTW anchor Steve Minich in Scarborough to discuss the GapTracks project.

Perlut and students in his Terrestrial Wildlife class are studying the impact that connecting two sections of the Eastern Trail in Scarborough will have on wildlife in the area.

A 1.6-mile gap currently exists on the Eastern Trail, interrupting off-road travel. Work is expected to start soon to close the gap, including the construction of two bridges. The finished project will provide 16 continuous off-road miles reaching from Bug Light in South Portland to Downtown Saco.

Images and videos captured on eight motion-controlled cameras are providing insight into the secret lives of wildlife in the area.

“We know that there are animals here, but people don’t necessarily know how many species are here or how abundant the wildlife is in our backyard,” Perlut told WMTW.

Two of the cameras are set up where the trail currently exists and six are placed where the extension will be built. Students are constantly analyzing data collected from the cameras.

“An army of students go through these pictures day and night looking for what’s there and documenting what’s there so that we can understand the many years of data,” Perlut explained.

That data collected will be compared to data collected after the construction project is complete in order to document changes over time. The study is focused on the types of animals in the gap area, the time of year and day they are present, and the amount and type of use by humans.

The report will air again on a future episode of “Total Maine,” a program that airs on WMTW’s sister network CW on Saturday evenings.

You can view the WMTW coverage here (video).

Visit the GapTracks Facebook page here.

Voters in Arundel overwhelmingly have approved funding for a project to build a new 7,000-square-foot municipal building. The site of the new Arundel Town Hall is on Limerick Road about a quarter-mile south of the existing town municipal building. Land for the project was purchased in 2017 in partnership with the Arundel Conservation Trust.

The Arundel Conservation Trust plans to create walking and biking trails on the 37-acre site that will connect to the Eastern Trail with 10 of those acres set aside for the new town hall facility.

Read the entire article in SeaCoastOnline here.

A PHOTO ESSAY OF THE EASTERN TRAIL WAS PUBLISHED IN THE 2019 GREEN ISSUE OF RAILS TO TRAILS MAGAZINE.

From quiet pine forests to a bustling working waterfront, and from wide sandy beaches to rocky shores, the 65-mile Eastern Trail—currently 30 percent complete—offers a vivid snapshot of Maine’s many charms. The multi-use trail, which follows the corridor of the historic Eastern Railroad, packs plenty of variety into its north-south route from South Portland to Kittery.

Along the way, trail users can take in lobster boats skirting the picturesque Bug Light lighthouse in South Portland, watch snowy egrets wading in the ponds of the Scarborough Marsh, or detour a few blocks to dip their toes into the Atlantic Ocean at Old Orchard Beach. The trail also passes through dense pine forests and quaint coastal towns.

Within the next year or two, organizers say a 1.6-mile gap will be closed, allowing trail users to travel off-road for more than 16 miles from Bug Light to Saco. The Eastern Trail is also a part of the much larger 3,000-mile developing East Coast Greenway.

To view the 25 captioned photos in the photo essay, go to the 2019 Green Issue of the Rails To Trails magazine.

Huge THANK YOU to Kittery Trading Post for their donation of $3,120 from their Round Up program and for being such valued partner to the Eastern Trail!

#EasternTrail #EasternTrailAlliance #ETA

[Ed.s Note – This story appeared in the Fall 2019 Rails to Trails magazine published by the Rails to Trails Conservancy]

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CINDY BARKS

As I dipped my toes into the chilly surf of the Atlantic Ocean, I had to marvel at the spectacular diversity along the Eastern Trail that runs through the coastal region of southern Maine.
During my several spring days of meandering along the 29-mile stretch from South Portland to Kennebunk, I stared down a raccoon in the deep pine woods in Kennebunk, watched lobster boats comb the blue waters of Portland’s Casco Bay and was awed by a flock of graceful snowy egrets wading in the saltwater ponds of the Scarborough Marsh.
And that’s not even mentioning my day at Old Orchard Beach, beach combing along a 7-mile strand of wide, sandy oceanfront complete with a quaint pier, amusement park and multiple places to buy fried dough and pizza slices.
Not only was the beach a lovely bonus after my days of walking and bicycling on the trail, but it brought me full circle, ending at a tourist attraction central to the Eastern Trail’s early history.
Trains and Trolleys
By the mid-1800s, tourism was well under way in coastal Maine. The Eastern Railroad dates back to 1842, when the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad line opened as the first railway between Portland and Boston.
A few decades later, the Portland Electric Railroad Company connected a trolley line to the railroad route to give tourists arriving in Portland direct access to the “Grand Beach at Old Orchard.”
Although increasing automobile use brought an end to the rail line in 1945, efforts were under way a half century later to use a portion of the disused right-of-way as a recreational/nonmotorized transportation trail. The Eastern Trail Alliance (ETA) was born in 1998, and the first section of the Eastern Trail opened at Scarborough Marsh in 2004.
The ETA’s vision for a 65-mile off-road trail is about 30 percent complete, which means that the route combines off-road sections with well-marked on-road sections. Trail completion will get a major boost in the next year or so, when two new bridges will be built, closing a gap and making for a continuous 16-mile off-road stretch between South Portland and Saco.
Today the Eastern Trail already boasts many jewels. Carole Brush, executive director of the Eastern Trail Management District, told me that Old Orchard Beach “is southern Maine’s go-to spot in the summer.”
Lighthouses and Lobster
Another of the trail’s most popular destinations is the 5.5-mile greenbelt that begins on the trail’s northeastern end at Bug Light Park and the Bug Light (Portland Breakwater) lighthouse in South Portland.
With its expansive view of the Portland Harbor and its 1875-era lighthouse, Bug Light Park was the perfect place for me to start my exploration of the trail. As I admired the lighthouse’s Corinthian-column design, I noticed locals arriving by car or on bikes, greeting one another and setting out to walk their dogs along the park’s pathways.
Mark MacIsaac, who visits the park daily with his dog Phoebe, told me the park and its trail are a beloved community amenity. “South Portland has done an incredible job,” he said. “We take great pride in the parks, and certainly in this trail.”
That community pride was apparent as I proceeded southwest past the park’s informative Liberty Ship Memorial, which commemorates Maine’s massive World War II shipbuilding efforts, and along the wide, paved greenway that traverses neighborhoods and hugs the harbor’s edge.
Framed by the distant Portland skyline, the sea tides were putting on a show as I walked by, ebbing to reveal the harbor’s sandy bottom and beautiful channels.
South Portland’s booming restaurant and brewery scene was also on display. Nearing downtown, I made a quick coffee stop at Verbena, a creative breakfast and sandwich/bowl eatery on Ocean Street, just blocks from the trail. Later I took another short detour to Cape Whoopies for a sample of Maine’s official state treat—the decadent, irresistible whoopie pie.
An even larger array of restaurants and breweries is just across the Casco Bay Bridge in downtown Portland. In the popular Old Port, lobster is king—and countless restaurants and bars feature Maine’s most famous food. I joined locals on my first evening in Portland at perennial favorite J’s Oyster for a twist on scampi—featuring lobster, of course!
The downtown Portland spots are all within easy reach of the Eastern Trail and other attractions on foot or bicycle. One morning I joined a bike tour organized by Portland’s Summer Feet cycling and rode from the Eastern Trail to three scenic lighthouses: Portland Breakwater, Spring Point Ledge and Portland Head. (During the summer, the bike tour includes the twin lighthouses at Two Lights State Park as well.)
Off-Road and On-Road Mix
Moving on from South Portland, I visited the Scarborough Marsh, Maine’s largest saltwater marsh, where I walked for a couple of miles with Carole Brush and Nancy Borg, ETA executive director.
I quickly learned that, similar to South Portland, the nearby Scarborough and Saco communities are big boosters of the trail. The day I visited, the trail was busy with runners, bicyclists and families with small children. “It’s flat, so it’s for everyone,” Borg said.
Patrick O’Reilly, who with his wife, Sue, owns the Scarborough pub O’Reilly’s Cure, said he became involved with the trail years ago at the urging of his friend John Andrews. Andrews, who died in 2017, is credited with founding and mentoring the Eastern Trail. For the past three years, O’Reilly’s Cure has sponsored the John Andrews Memorial Eastern Trail 5K, a trail fundraiser.
O’Reilly sees the trail as an economic boon for local businesses, and a place to experience the region’s unique natural landscape. “It is fantastic that within five or 10 minutes from anywhere in town, you can be on that trail, and in a different world,” he said.
Farther along, the terrain transitions abruptly from marsh to woodlands. As the trail passes through the quaint towns of Biddeford, Arundel and Kennebunk, white pine trees tower overhead. Even though I knew that houses, schools and roads were nearby, this section of trail felt like deep wilderness.
Brush said the trail’s changing landscape and diverse uses are among its major assets. “Each year over 250,000 people enjoy this amazing resource for transportation, exercise, ‘forest bathing,’ bird watching and many, many other activities,” she said, quoting from the trail’s mission statement.
After spending several days exploring the route’s northern half, I couldn’t help but agree: For my first taste of Maine, the Eastern Trail was the perfect showcase.
Accessing the Trail
Bug Light Park at the northern end of the trail is a convenient access spot. It offers plenty of parking, as well as views of the picturesque Portland Breakwater Lighthouse. From the Portland International Jetport, take Jetport Boulevard to Congress Street and then turn right on Fore River Parkway. Continue onto Commercial Street and exit onto Highway 77 South/Casco Bay Bridge. Continue onto Broadway to Madison Street.
What to See
One of the Portland area’s foremost attractions is the Portland Head Light — the iconic lighthouse perched on the edge of a beautiful and rocky cliff. Old Orchard Beach is a 30-minute drive from downtown Portland, and just a couple of blocks off the Eastern Trail. Just down the trail is Scarborough Marsh, Maine’s largest saltwater marsh.
Where to Stay
For a newspaper-themed stay in downtown Portland, check out the Press Hotel, the luxuriously renovated former offices of the Portland Press Herald. The Holiday Inn by the Bay offers rooms at a reasonable rate with sweeping views of downtown Portland and Casco Bay. Campers can be within a mile or so of the trail at Bayley’s Camping Resort in Scarborough; it has a variety of accommodation choices.
Breweries
Portland, a city of about 65,000, boasts an estimated 18 breweries, which puts it at the top of lists of communities with the most breweries per capita. Among the best are Allagash Brewing Company, Fore River Brewing and Shipyard Brewing Company.
Where to Eat
For brunch or dinner right along the Eastern Trail in Scarborough, O’Reilly’s Cure offers classic New England chowder and crab cakes in an Irish pub setting. In nearby Portland, visitors need remember just one word — lobster. Enjoy authentic lobster rolls, along with other seafood choices, at Bite into Maine (biteintomaine.com), The High Roller Lobster Company or J’s Oyster. For a Maine breakfast said to be favored by lobstermen, head to the local favorite, Becky’s Diner.
Where to Rent
Portland EnCYCLEpedia offers a range of bike rentals, and Summer Feet Cycling leads informative bike tours. Fun and Sun Rentals in Scarborough provides bikes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Maine Audubon has a kayak and canoe rental site on the Scarborough Marsh, just steps from the Eastern Trail.•

VIEW A PHOTO ESSAY OF THE EASTERN TRAIL IN THE 2019 GREEN ISSUE OF RAILS TO TRAILS MAGAZINE

Cindy Barks is a freelance writer/photographer and Arizona newspaper reporter who has covered trails extensively in her community and in the Southwestern United States. She also writes a  travel and hiking blog at nearandfaraz.com.

On April 6th, friends and supporters of the Eastern Trail gathered at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough for the 2nd Annual Taste of the Town Gala.

Guests enjoyed sampling dishes from local establishments, bidding on unique items in the silent auction, and dancing to the music of the Time Pilots band. Net proceeds from the event totaled $11,000 and will be used to support the Eastern Trail’s trail development campaigns.

Thank you to everyone who participated in making the event so much fun.

A special thanks to our Major Event Sponsor Scott and Sunny Townsend Team of Keller Williams. 

Some pictures from the event appear below:
Go to our FaceBook page to see more pictures

Join us for a unique and delicious event to benefit the Eastern Trail Alliance and our various trail development campaigns!  Sample signature dishes from local establishments, bid on exciting items in our silent auction, then dance the night away to music by the Time Pilots! A cash bar will be serving local beer and wine.
Saturday, April 6, 7:00pm – 10:30pm at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough.

Camp Ketcha
336 Black Point Road, Scarborough, ME

$50/person – Cocktail Attire
Go here to buy “Taste of the Town” Tickets.

Sponsored by: