Misha Golfman, executive director of the Mad River Path, has a vision for a multi-use transportation path running mostly in the Route 100 right of way that runs from Warren to Moretown.
He presented that vision, his work to date and his reasoning to the Waitsfield Select Board with path association board president Mac Rood on June 26.
Golfman acknowledged the 30 years of effort on behalf of the path association and community to establish the existing path network and the original goal of a path that runs from Warren to Moretown.
“As we look into the future, and perhaps the changing time that we’re living in. I believe that changing or realigning our priorities and thinking about creating a multi-use path along Route 100 corridor that would be within state right of way, but separate from the road, a fully ADA accessible, 10-foot-wide would be an important contribution to well-being of all the communities. It will, first of all, become an alternative transportation path, and could be one of the most important contributions we could make to reducing our carbon footprint,” he said.
Such a path would be equitable and accessible to everyone from walkers to cyclists to people in wheelchairs or pushing strollers. It would create connectivity to and for all the trails in The Valley while not creating any new infringements on the environment, he said.
Golfman noted the significant community effort that went into the 2016 Mad River Valley Moves study which called for a major connection such as this.
“It was proposed but never fulfilled because no one would take it on. I believe that we, Mad River Path are in a unique position to lead this project. Of course, in a coalition with many other organizations and all the municipalities, it's going to be a long process. And I believe that I'm prepared to take it on. If I’m supported by all of you,” he said.
Golfman plans to meet with the select boards, planning commissions and conservation commissions of Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston and Moretown and has already been working with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, the Cross Vermont Trail, Catamount Trail Association, Mad River Riders, and others.
Beyond pitching the idea from Warren to Moretown, Golfman has been working on a scoping study with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission. The application for the scoping study is due December 5.
Board members were generally supportive of the idea and starting with a scoping study. They raised questions about whether the entire multi-use path could be created in the Route 100 right of way and whether at certain points it would revert to pre-existing path sections and or the Waitsfield sidewalks. They had questions about how shared sidewalk use would be shared and the impact of going from a 10-foot-wide path to a 5-foot-wide sidewalk would work.
