In the last few months, the Greater Portland Council of Governments has put forth a plan to construct a walking trail alongside a little-used railroad track running from Portland to Yarmouth. At first glance, this may sound like an intriguing idea, but it is a short-sighted plan that would jeopardize valuable transit alternatives that will be critical for building a sustainable transportation system in Maine.
In the last generation, several Maine governors, from Angus King to John Baldacci, purchased, with bipartisan legislative approval, over 300 miles of railroad lines with the clear objective that these lines would be restored to providing train service throughout the state. They were seen as a critical piece of public infrastructure.
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