The Boothbay region is known for the small-town charm and natural beauty lining its streets. However, opportunities to safely experience them on foot or bike are limited. This October, residents and local leaders from Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor gathered for a workshop to discuss active transportation across the region and how to improve it.

Around 30 people joined what organizers called a catalyst for momentum towards community-led active transportation initiatives across the Boothbay Peninsula. Attendees expressed interest in future meetings and forming a community group to continue ongoing work.

“You have to have everybody at the table to figure out what will work for everybody in the year-round community and the summer community,” said East Boothbay resident Nell Tharpe, emphasizing the need for collaboration. The discussion followed a 2023 workshop, hosted by the Boothbay Region Climate Action Team (BRCAT) and Sunrise Ecologic, where residents identified access and safety for emissions-friendly transportation as a key priority for community climate action. In 2024, the Boothbay Harbor selectboard signed a Municipal Resolution committing to support “implementation of strategies that increase the use of public transportation, biking, and walking.”

This October, Sunrise Ecologic and BRCAT partnered with Pedego Boothbay Harbor and the Boothbay Region YMCA to engage the community in a discussion of concerns and opportunities around active transportation and how they align with municipal and state goals. Panelists included Boothbay Harbor Town Manager and Road Commissioner Julia Latter and Boothbay Harbor Pedego owners Roger and Lisa Matthews.

The discussion also touched on bike tourism and other economic development opportunities, inspired by burgeoning rail-to-trail projects across the country. Recent bike rack donations from BRCAT to the high school and Clifford Park also illustrate continued community support for a bike-friendly environment.

The two towns worked with Lincoln County Planning to develop a bicycle safety plan in 2012, providing the framework for subsequent comprehensive planning around active transportation efforts such as the Route 27 sidewalk. Phase One was completed in 2021, but work is still ongoing, largely due to the nature of collaboration between the two towns and the state.

Latter explained that major roads (including Route 27, Route 96, and sections of Atlantic Avenue) are state-owned, and municipalities can't repair and maintain state roads without Maine Department of Transportation involvement. Sidewalk and crosswalk construction align with Maine’s Active Transportation plan and Complete Streets Policy, which both support biking and walking. However, Latter said work on state roads require significant coordination around the state’s work plan and funding cycles.

Residents also highlighted what some called a “culture of speeding” that hinders safety. People shared stories of near-misses with cars on state roads and speeding around the tighter town streets.

“You have these pockets where we see a lot of issues. I see them every day where we live,” said Lisa Matthews, who explained she limits her company’s bike tours to the east side of Boothbay Harbor due to safety concerns. “I don’t really understand the anger and frustration, but it's there.”

Roger Matthews said solutions lie in educating drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians on safely sharing the road, and talked about low-cost ways to normalize active transportation through signage and visual aids, like painted bicycles on the streets.

“The most effective first step is to invite all drivers on the peninsula to commit to driving at, or below, the speed limit for a full year,” Roger Matthews said. “This would calm the speeding culture, and it's free.”

For more information, or to be a part of the active transportation working group, please contact pedegoboothbayharbor@gmail.com.