Current Events

Land for Maine's Future Update
With all of the conservation and farmland dollars from the $17 million bond approved by voters in 2007 committed to projects, Maine Coast Heritage Trust is once again working with a coalition of organizations, including Portland Trails, to promote renewed funding for Land for Maine's Future in this year's legislative session. Thus far, legislators have introduced two bills that would send a LMF bond issue to voters in November of 2009: LD 153 and LD 684

Land Bond advocates have been working closely with Senator Bill Diamond (D, Windham) in support of LD 684. The chair of the legislature's Appropriations Committee, Senator Diamond is the lead sponsor of the bill and he has been joined by 83 cosponsors. LD 684 proposes to borrow $87.5 million over four years – this number reflects the program's need of at least $20 million per year. The second bill, LD 153, has been introduced by Representative Patrick Flood (R, Winthrop). His proposal calls for a bond of $30 million over the next two years. While the $15 million per year amount is less and the number of years fewer than in LD 684, this bill would result in an increase in support compared to the most recent LMF bond issues.

March will be an active month for bond discussions. Governor Baldacci is expected to release his proposed bond package soon and then the Appropriations Committee will likely hold hearings around the middle of the month. The next six weeks could well decide whether there is a LMF bond issue this year and, if so, what the size of the proposal will be.

What You Can Do:

• Take a look at the list of LMF bond cosponsors on our website (www.trails.org/LMF). If you have local legislators on the list, thank them for their support of this important measure. If your local legislators are not on the list, encourage them to support a LMF bond in this year's bond package. While it is too late for them to cosponsor one of the two bills, they can still advocate for LMF funding among their colleagues.
• It will be important for legislators to hear from their constituents. In addition to calls and emails, submitting a letter to the editor or Op-Ed to the local paper is an important tool. Letters serve to encourage legislators and also provide a sense of the local community support.

Trails.org is a winner of the 2008 American Trails Website Contest !

Trails.org, the website of Portland Trails, has won the Community Trails System Site Award for 2008

American Trails continues to hold this contest to seek out the best websites in the cyberworld of trails and greenways. They look for sites that really make trails come alive, and which provide effective information delivery, support volunteers, and engage the public.

Active Transportation: The Way to Go
By Marc R. Hills

What if Portland woke up tomorrow with $50 million to spend on walking and biking? It might just happen.

Click here for Our Active Transportation Case Statement-“Way to Go! Portland" (very large pdf- 14.3mg)

As you know, Portland Trails and many other organizations have worked for years to improve pedestrian and bicycling resources in greater Portland . Projects have ranged from basic education and advocacy to bike lanes and trail connectors to creating brand new trails through the woods and across the city. These efforts have always been , and will continue to be , an essential element in developing trails and pathways throughout our community.

But frankly, the projects are piecemeal, and it sometimes feels as though they're accomplished at a glacial pace. Although we have a vision map, comprehensively connecting trails and linking them to public transportation resources such as Portland Metro and Amtrak can also be tough. More frustratingly, some projects seem to be perennially out of reach. I mean, when will we ever find the money to repair the railroad swing bridge at the mouth of Back Cove? Now imagine for a moment if, with one stroke of a fiscal magic wand, that all changed. What if, suddenly, non-motorized transportation became the trendy thing in Portland ? What if instead of scratching for local, state and private funds, the full force of the Federal Highway Administration was behind the efforts of Portland Trails? Here's the scenario. The last reauthorization of the Federal Transportation bill included funding for an intriguing project called the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. This project provided $25 million for each of four communities ( Marin , CA , Minneapolis , MN , Sheboygan , WI and Columbia , MO ) to develop bike paths, pedestrian walkways, and inter-modal links to existing public transportation. In other words, exactly the sorts of things that we – sans the big bucks – have been working on here in Portland . The Federal Transportation Bill is up for reauthorization in 2009. The national organization Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is spearheading a lobbying effort to expand that Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program to fund 50 additional communities nationwide at $50 million each . The name of this lobbying effort is Active Transportation Campaign 2010 (the year the reauthorized funds would become available to recipient communities).

What if, suddenly, non-motorized transportation became the trendy thing in Portland ?

Portland Trails is working with other local organizations and government agencies to ensure that Portland is one of those 50 target communities.

Portland could be one of 50 communities nationwide funded by the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program.

This campaign has three distinct phases, the first of which is already well under way: Phase I: (2007 - Present) Create a steering committee and develop of a case statement. Portland Trails and members of the Steering Committee will develop a document that makes the case for Portland as one of the communities to receive the expanded transportation funding. Click here for Our Active Transportation Case Statement-“Way to Go! Portland (very large pdf 13.6mg) Phase II: (2008-2009) Advocacy. Submit Portland 's case statement to our national campaign partner , the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) which will spearhead lobbying efforts in Washington , DC . Portland Trails and our local partner organizations will lobby here in Maine . Phase III: (2010 and beyond) Implementation. Where the rubber (of the bicycle and sneaker variety) hits the pathways. We get to use those $50 million to make meaningful changes in the way we get around in Portland .

Who is Active Transportation Campaign 2010?

National partner: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy ( www.railstotrails.org )

Steering Committee:

City of Portland Planning Department
City of Portland Public Works
City of Portland Parks and Recreation
Maine Department of Transportation
Portland Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Greater Portland Council of Governments
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee
Growsmart Maine
Portland Green Streets

Advisor Organizations that will review the work of the Steering Committee include:

Bicycle Coalition of Maine, East Coast Greenway, Healthy Portland, and many others. A third tier of partner organizations will be kept informed of the Campaign's work and assist in our local and national advocacy and lobbying efforts.

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