(May 26, 2016) A grant expenditure approved by the Berlin Town Council on Monday night could pave the way to several major new bikeways in the area.
The town approved up to $20,000 in funding to create a pedestrian and biking path that would connect downtown Berlin to Berlin Falls Park on Old Ocean City Boulevard, along the existing railroad line.
Part of that money would go toward licensing fees for a right-of-way easement to use the area near the rail line, which is owned by the Maryland-Delaware Railroad Co.
The railroad runs behind the Berlin Fire Company and the library on Main Street to the former Tyson’s Chicken plant that the town is converting into the Berlin Falls public park.
“The ideal bikeway path, according to Maryland Department of Transportation Bikeways program, is a 10-foot surface with two-foot clear both sides,” Planning Director Dave Engelhart said on Monday. “We have plenty of clearance in most areas of town to use.”
Engelhart said the licensing agreement would be needed to secure the area east of the railroad tracks, extending from the northern town limits along Route 50, to the southern limits near Worcester Preparatory School.
He said the Maryland Bikeways grant program that could pay for the proposed path would also cover the cost of a feasibility study, design work and stormwater issues.
To secure that money, however, the town would need to put some of its own dollars into the project. Engelhart estimated the cost would be no more than $20,000.
“I think that’s more than generous – I don’t think we’ll need anywhere near that,” he said. “Most of it could be in kind. In other words, our work hours put on it to file the grant application and then to go ahead and put it out to bid.”
Money could be available in September, and the town would have 24 months to spend it. Engelhart estimated the total cost of the first phase of the project to be about $30,000.
“All the people at Maryland Bikeways have encouraged us to go ahead and apply for the grant,” Engelhart said. “Their funding is 80 percent of costs if we’re in the priority program, and it appears we would be.
“The actual construction money – they said we have that too,” he added. “It’s conceivable we could get almost all of it funded and have a connected [downtown and Berlin Falls].”
Each year, the town pays the railroad $15,000 to allow motorists to drive over the existing line. Mayor Gee Williams said the town recently met with John Sullivan, who handles licensing for the train company, and was hopeful they would grant the right of way.
Building a biking path of this nature adjacent to a rail line had not been done before in the state, Williams said, and the actual length of the path would be dependent on the size of the grant.
He estimated it would at least run from Berlin Falls to Main Street, but said it could go further south, or be done in phases.
A second phase, for instance, could run to Washington Street Extended or as far south as Evans Road, the southern border of the town. Eventually, he hoped the path would also go to Saint Martin’s Church in Showell, and to Ocean Pines, West Ocean City and Assateague.
“You’ve got to have a good idea that will get broad support, then the money comes. That’s true to many situations and that’s what has apparently happened here,” Williams said.
“How long this will take [to extend the path to neighboring towns] I don’t know, but I think its inevitable,” he added.
The town approved up to $20,000 in funding to create a pedestrian and biking path that would connect downtown Berlin to Berlin Falls Park on Old Ocean City Boulevard, along the existing railroad line.
Part of that money would go toward licensing fees for a right-of-way easement to use the area near the rail line, which is owned by the Maryland-Delaware Railroad Co.
The railroad runs behind the Berlin Fire Company and the library on Main Street to the former Tyson’s Chicken plant that the town is converting into the Berlin Falls public park.
“The ideal bikeway path, according to Maryland Department of Transportation Bikeways program, is a 10-foot surface with two-foot clear both sides,” Planning Director Dave Engelhart said on Monday. “We have plenty of clearance in most areas of town to use.”
Engelhart said the licensing agreement would be needed to secure the area east of the railroad tracks, extending from the northern town limits along Route 50, to the southern limits near Worcester Preparatory School.
He said the Maryland Bikeways grant program that could pay for the proposed path would also cover the cost of a feasibility study, design work and stormwater issues.
To secure that money, however, the town would need to put some of its own dollars into the project. Engelhart estimated the cost would be no more than $20,000.
“I think that’s more than generous – I don’t think we’ll need anywhere near that,” he said. “Most of it could be in kind. In other words, our work hours put on it to file the grant application and then to go ahead and put it out to bid.”
Money could be available in September, and the town would have 24 months to spend it. Engelhart estimated the total cost of the first phase of the project to be about $30,000.
“All the people at Maryland Bikeways have encouraged us to go ahead and apply for the grant,” Engelhart said. “Their funding is 80 percent of costs if we’re in the priority program, and it appears we would be.
“The actual construction money – they said we have that too,” he added. “It’s conceivable we could get almost all of it funded and have a connected [downtown and Berlin Falls].”
Each year, the town pays the railroad $15,000 to allow motorists to drive over the existing line. Mayor Gee Williams said the town recently met with John Sullivan, who handles licensing for the train company, and was hopeful they would grant the right of way.
Building a biking path of this nature adjacent to a rail line had not been done before in the state, Williams said, and the actual length of the path would be dependent on the size of the grant.
He estimated it would at least run from Berlin Falls to Main Street, but said it could go further south, or be done in phases.
A second phase, for instance, could run to Washington Street Extended or as far south as Evans Road, the southern border of the town. Eventually, he hoped the path would also go to Saint Martin’s Church in Showell, and to Ocean Pines, West Ocean City and Assateague.
“You’ve got to have a good idea that will get broad support, then the money comes. That’s true to many situations and that’s what has apparently happened here,” Williams said.
“How long this will take [to extend the path to neighboring towns] I don’t know, but I think its inevitable,” he added.