Well, a friend of mine sent me this article snippet this afternoon;
Wiscasset and Boothbay Harbor will be getting closer together.
Figuratively speaking, that is.
A plan to add a regional shuttle service from the railroads to Wiscasset and Boothbay Harbor has picked up steam after the Lincoln County Commissioners voted to give the project $1,000 in December.
Lincoln County Planner Robert Faunce said the plan came about late in 2013 after a meeting with the Maine Eastern Railroad (MERR) when it was announced the railroad was tweaking its schedule and adding services, Faunce said.
“Their goal is to to develop as much passenger traffic as possible by making a convenient connection with the Downeaster in Brunswick and adding special events trains to Rockland festivals and an excursion train between Wiscasset and Newcastle and Wiscasset and Bath,” he wrote in an email. “Our local informal committee brought up the idea of a shuttle connection between Wiscasset and Boothbay Harbor as a natural way to increase traffic and the MERR will actually ticket folks between Boston North Station and any intervening station and Boothbay Harbor, if the shuttle becomes a reality.”
The proposed shuttle would travel from Wiscasset to Boothbay Harbor, but a second trolley, which Faunce said would complement the Rocktide Trolley, would take passengers to local hot spots, such as Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Railway Museum, the Boothbay Commons, the Boothbay Harbor Country Club and other destinations.
Faunce said Maine Department of Transportation has been asked to foot the bulk of the bill for the service this summer, but some additional supports from local sources would be needed in the form of money for sponsors.
“We have secured some funding from (Lincoln) County, Regional Planning Commission and the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce,” Faunce said. “We will be talking to the Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor selectboards and local institutions and individuals.”
The aim is to have the service start in June with Friday, Saturday and Sunday service, with holidays added on as possible, although no set times or stops have been finalized yet, Faunce said.
“This is an exciting opportunity to create a regional transit infrastructure in Lincoln County,” he said. “It offers the distinct possibility of expanding to other county communities in the future.”Now, why aren't we getting on board with this? That thousand dollars, coupled with already available track materials would make a great start for a southward extension... I can see it now; 10-some-odd miles of new WW&F trackage along the coast down to Boothbay... With Mike's creativity, James' financial know-how, and some serious ambition, I would call this plan simply...
deh neh
EVIL!!! End overly dry cliche...
