With the Town of Cape Charles set to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on the Community Trail, one has to wonder if there isn’t a page the so-called citizens of this town could take from county residents that educated themselves about the proposed zoning, fought against it, and eventually took action at the polls. While phase II of the trail is a foregone conclusion, one has to wonder if future resources should be spent on a more inclusive, more generally useful alternative, one that is more organic, sustainable and beneficial to everyone on the lower Shore.
What we really needs is a bike trail that connects Kiptopeke with all the towns on the Shore. That is, a way for families to bike up and down the Eastern Shore, at least through Northampton, without ever having to be on Route 13. Eventually, this trail would run from the CBBT all the way to Chincoteague. In the meantime, what we should be working towards is a bike trail that follows the railroad tracks along Stone Road to a pedestrian/bike overpass that goes over 13 and reconnects to the trail that not only travels south the Kiptopeke, but connects Cheriton and Oyster as well.
This, of course needs to be a group effort, with Cape Charles and the County forming a partnership. In the past, it seemed the town and county were happy to pool efforts when it meant running a PSA pipeline from the wastewater plant out to the highway, an ill-fitting project that would promote more development on 13 all the while pouching from ‘small town’, main street businesses; it may finally be time to think organically and sustainably. This bike trail would fit nicely with the Artisan and Oyster trails. The town is actively using resources to attempt to fit us into the Virginia Main Street program, however, wouldn’t working with the county to create a trail network be, in the long run more beneficial to the regional tourism program, as well as being more environmentally sustainable?
Town Manager Brent Manuel has been meeting with Kris Tucker, new Economic Development Director for the county– maybe a town/county partnership focused on building a bike trail is something they can talk about?
I have alway liked this idea. A trail from the Eastern Shore Wildlife refuge already exists to the area of Kiptopeake State Park and maybe continuing on north along the old railroad right of way to the area of Old Cape Charles rd and on to the power line right of way toward Bayshore Concrete and the Cape Charles wildlife area and from there winding around the harbor into town and then along the beachfront, Central Park, the Museum etc and then along the railroad right of way on to Cheriton and Oyster and then north along the sea side road. I am sure there are obstacles to be worked out and possibly other alternatives.
A fully built out bike trail from Chincoteague to the Bridge Tunnel would be an amazing boom to our growing tourist industry. It would connect our villages and provide another healthy environment friendly activity to all ages! We on the shore should get behind this effort. What is the estimated cost? Is federal or state grant money available? What does CBES position on this? How can we get involved?