Bike trails are investment in future

Sussex County Council is set to propose a list of projects as Delaware Department of Transportation plans its 2012-2018 capital program.

A high priority on the county’s list is funding bicycling and walking trails in Sussex County.

In a time when some Sussex County roads were impassable for days and the threat of storms has made effective evacuation routes more critical than ever, many Sussex residents will see setting aside money for a bike trail as trivial and wasteful.

There’s no doubt many Sussex roads need serious attention. At the same time, the $7.5 million already set aside in the bond bill for walking and cycling trails would be well spent in Sussex County.

The bond bill contains $2.5 million for trail work within state parks, funds that could go a long way toward a trail linking Gordon’s Pond to Herring Point and to the Junction and Breakwater Trail, completing a loop trail from Rehoboth Beach to Lewes.

The bond bill also contains $5 million for connecting communities outside of state parks to the parks. State environmental officials have already noted those funds could be used to get started on a proposed trail along the railroad line from Georgetown to Lewes.

Critical to the trail project are federal matching funds – as much as a 4-1 match could be available – to assist communities in developing bicycle trail networks.

Should bicycle trails be among top transportation priorities? A short-term view might say no. But looking toward the Cape Region we’d all like to live in by 2018 and beyond, a strong network of trails for recreation, and even for getting to work or to the outlets, will be a major addition to our quality of life. A trail connecting western Sussex and Georgetown with the coastal area would provide a healthy and relatively inexpensive means of improving access to beaches for residents throughout Sussex, mitigating the ever-increasing traffic on existing roads while also promoting recreation.

A hearing is set 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at DelDOT’s South Administration Building in Georgetown. Residents are welcome to submit written comments on future transportation projects or mail comments to DelDOT Public Relations, PO Box 778 Dover 19903.