Editor:

At Wednesday’s public forum, proponents of the proposed Shore Road Path put forward at least two alleged benefits that just don’t pass the straight face test.  

1. Two speakers complained that bicyclists and runners on Shore Road were “hard to pass,” or “I never know where to look to see them.”  They assert the path would remove runners and bicyclists off the road. The truth is, bikers would stick to the roadway, due to the “curvilinear” nature (designer’s term) of the path. Stone dust as the less-expensive surface choice would actually deter road bikes from using the path. Serious runners would likely also stick to the roadway, particularly if training for the Beach to Beacon race.

2. A parade of parents and children suggested the kids could use the path to safely walk to school or the library.  The truth is, parents don’t allow their children to walk to school for reasons unrelated to road traffic – child predators, harsh Maine winters and too-busy schedules are the culprits.  I walk Cape’s quieter roadways and trails nearly every day of the week and, sadly, seldom see children on foot.  

As someone who walks the Shore Road loop year round about once a week, I think our town is a wonderful place to walk right now. We have an amazing trail network, thanks to our land trust. And there’s the generosity of the Robinson family, who not only donated Robinson’s Woods to the town, but also unofficially allows foot traffic through a section of their private property, surely the most popular dog-walking trail in greater Portland.  It’s worth noting that one of the longest and prettiest stretches of Shore Road, one that would be significantly impacted by the proposed path, belongs to the same Robinson family.

The irony of the proposed path is that it would diminish the very natural beauty that makes Shore Road such a beautiful walk today! The hedges, the culvert violets, the nesting turtles, the young trees that separate field from roadway. . .all would be impacted if we take a bulldozer to either side of that road.  As in Aesop’s fable, we will slay the goose that laid the golden eggs.

In a year when we needed to vote three times to approve a school budget, I am amazed we are being asked to consider a recreational path projected to cost many millions in a town that is already rich with such pathways.  

I applaud the Shore Path Committee for its valiant try, but believe that not another tax dollar should be spent on this initiative.

Laurel Milos

Cape Elizabeth