The city of Brunswick, like many other cities and towns on
the Androscoggin River, hasn't always seen the river as an asset.
The newly constructed and highly successful Brunswick Androscoggin
River Bicycle Path has dramatically changed all that.
The 2.5-mile, 14-foot-wide paved path along the Androscoggin River now provides a safe place for residents and visitors to bike, walk, rollerblade and enjoy the many spectacular views, including watching eagles and osprey fishing. There are even people who use the path to commute to work.
And it provides a meeting place for diverse members of the
community to socialize and talk about the future of their community.
The residents of Brunswick, like those of many other cities and
towns, now consider the Androscoggin River a valuable community
resource.
Construction of the path started in 1997. It links downtown
Brunswick via Water Street to Cook's Corner to the east via Grover
Lane. The path opened in October of 1998 and has experienced heavy
use. It has been successful because the community had a vision
and was willing to work hard to make that vision a reality.
But government also played a key role in this story. Early
in the 1990s, two significant government decisions were made that
made the path possible.
Federal legislation commonly known as ISTEA (pronounced like
the drink) made funding for intermodal alternative transportation
projects available. At the same time, the Maine Department of
Transportation was planning to build a by-pass bridge between
Brunswick and Topsham.
The Androscoggin River was recovering from decades of pollution
and the town of Brunswick saw in those two government decisions
the opportunity to bring this vision of a pedestrian-and-bicycle
path along the banks of the river to reality. Residents again
were using the river to swim, canoe and fish.
An ad hoc committee was formed by the town manager to investigate
the potential for a bike-pedestrian path along the river and to
prepare an application for project funding.
There were many questions: Could a grant application be successful?
Would it be possible to construct the path in conjunction with
another state Department of Transportation project in the same
area? Would the residents of Brunswick fund the 20 percent local
match needed for the project?
Partnerships were formed with the Maine Department of Transportation
and other state and federal agencies. The town contracted with
professional consultants to assist in the preparation of a final
application for funding. The ad hoc committee spent many hours
reviewing reports, walking the riverfront property and making
the many decisions that were necessary to ensure the project's
success.
The public was kept informed of the ad hoc committee's work.
Numerous public meetings were held at both the local and state
levels. A final plan and request for funding were submitted and
the town was granted $1.09 million to develop the facility. The
local Rotary Club raised $50,000 as part of the town's 20 percent
share of the project.
The path is now a huge success; an important side benefit is
that the process brought the residents of Brunswick together and
empowered them to implement a positive vision of their community.