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Regional Casco Bay Trail gains state planning funds; interlocal governance planned
Summary
Presenters said MaineDOT has put a 10-mile Portland'to'Yarmouth segment into its work plan with $600,000 for preliminary engineering (80% federal match); local jurisdictions and GPCOG are developing an interlocal agreement and a Casco Bay Board of Supervisors to oversee planning and future construction.
The committee heard a presentation from the Casco Bay Trail Alliance and regional partners describing progress on a proposed 72-mile active-transportation loop and immediate planning for a 10-mile Portland'to'Yarmouth segment.
Emma Bond, a board member of the Casco Bay Trail Alliance, described a regional vision to connect Portland, Lewiston, Auburn and Brunswick and said the 10-mile corridor from Portland to Yarmouth is now in the Maine Department of Transportation work plan with preliminary engineering funds. "There's a 10-mile portion that's in the Maine Department of Transportation's work plan," Bond said, noting roughly 80% federal funding for the current planning allocation.
Greg Jordan and Aubrey Miller (Greater Portland Council of Governments) described an interlocal agreement the jurisdictions are drafting. Miller said the interlocal framework the partners are discussing would initially carry no financial commitments but would create a governance vehicle to match the $600,000 planning funds and later oversee construction and maintenance. Jordan said his office has budgeted a $15,000 local match in the city's CIP and that other municipalities (Cumberland, Yarmouth, Falmouth) have agreed to provide their portion of the match.
The committee thanked presenters and asked staff to return with the proposed interlocal agreement in the next committee meeting for review before forwarding recommendations to the full council. Speakers emphasized the trail'as-rail corridor status change in state law and the multi-jurisdictional governance approach as central steps for advancing the project.
Next steps: staff expect to bring the interlocal agreement to the committee the following month and, if recommended, forward an implementation and funding plan to the City Council.
