Although the weather will soon favor skis, snowmobiles and sleds, the time to think about bikes has come for Newcastle and Damariscotta cyclists.

An online survey for a new bike and pedestrian plan has been made available for those who walk, bike or run in the Twin Villages.

Robert Faunce, Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission's County Planner, said the survey will be submitted en route to potentially securing funding for a new pedestrian and biking plan.

There are two bike surveys: one for adults, and one aimed towards students. Faunce said he expected the surveys to be open until mid-January.

“There have been a lot of replies to date for the non-school survey, but we have not yet started circulating the school survey,” he said in an email. “The results of the surveys will be used to develop a joint (bike-pedestrian) plan for Newcastle and Damariscotta that will include prioritized recommendations for improvements.”

The survey, which is now available online on the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC) website (lcrpc.org/damariscotta-newcastle-surveys), asks survey-takers to list why, where and when they bike, and also includes questions regarding potential bike path routes in the area.

When the survey is submitted for review, it helps the towns' case if all the information is gathered and presented to the Maine Department of Transportation, Faunce said.

“In summary, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) funds a variety of bike and pedestrian improvement projects throughout the state, including sidewalks, multi-use paths, crosswalks, bike lanes, paved shoulders and similar facilities,” Faunce said. “Because the competition for these monies is intense, MDOT wants to ensure that whatever projects it does fund reflect a community's highest priorities and most important needs. The department, therefore, has asked the regional councils, including the LCRPC, to assist communities in preparing bike-ped plans.”

Already, the LCRPC has completed plans for towns including Bristol, Wiscasset, Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor and a 2008 plan for Damariscotta. In the 2008 Damariscotta plan, two of the projects (Main Street and Bristol Road) received money from MDOT.