Cyclists branching out

I have just spent a day in Bar Harbor riding in the Tour de Cure on a bicycle. It was a great time, well-organized, with more than 600 cyclists having fun.

I was so aware of the influx of visitors from all over and what a festive occasion it was. But then I thought this could be happening along the Calais Branch beyond Ellsworth and that all these people could be riding through Franklin and Cherryfield and Machias.

Why must we wait years for a possible train? Why can’t the rails come up and the corridor rail banked? Why must we spend so much money for an alternate route?

Every year that goes by is a year these tourist dollars are not arriving where they are so badly needed. We could have an outstanding attraction that would serve people in Maine and would draw outdoor enthusiasts from everywhere. Sandra L. Johnson Orono