Last week marked the second meeting of the Rail Corridor Use Advisory Council (RUAC) that is considering alternative interim uses of the Lower Road rail corridor. There was lots of great discussion, some initial information from the state’s consultants about evaluating repurposing the corridor as a trail, and some planning for future meetings.
Soon, we expect to have cost estimates for restoring rail service to this line, as well as a report on a recent propensity study that looked at transportation between Portland and Bangor. A draft of that study estimated the cost of passenger rail restoration along the Lower Road at just shy of $1 billion. It will be important to understand all these numbers so that the Council and the state can make an informed decision about the most responsible and highest use of this languishing public asset.
While we wait for more data, there are things you can do to support the Merrymeeting Trail!
- Submit a comment to the Advisory Council sharing why you support the Merrymeeting Trail, how you would use it, and the benefits it would bring to our communities.
- Be sure you are on our email list.
- Like and share our Facebook page so the Merrymeeting Trail reaches as many people as possible!
Thank you for your patience and support — and happy trails!