Starting locations in Warehm and Mattapoisett, see attached flyer

Phyllis Washburn, Treasurer

325 Wareham Street, Marion, MA 02738

The Marion Pathway will be a paved surface marked with a dividing line that will extend along the existing abandoned railroad grade from Washburn Park in Marion westward to the Marion/Mattapoisett town line. It will ultimately connect the Town of Marion to the neighboring towns of Mattapoisett and Wareham with a car-free corrider in a wooded, scenic setting. The pathway will promote alternative, healthy means of transportation such as cycling, rollerblading, and walking. It will allow cyclists, walkers and joggers of all ages an alternative to competing with dangerous motor vehicle traffic on the roadways.

• Educate and provide information on the Pathway, its route, benefits, and progress toward completion
• Support the Marion Pathway Committee in their work toward guiding the creation of the Pathway through the design, permitting and construction process
• Raise the Town of Marion's matching grant portion of the financing of the pathway

The Marion Pathway (shown in red) extends along the abandoned railway bed from the Mattapoisett/Marion town line at the east end of the Mattapoisett Industrial Park to Washburn Park in Marion.

It will connect to the existing Fairhaven pathway by way of the Mattapoisett pathway that is currently in the planning phase. The long term goal is to connect to the Wareham pathway as part of the larger Southcoast Bike Path Project extending from the Rhode Island border to the Cape Cod Canal!

Federal and State funds are currently available under TEA 21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) for the development of alternative transportation routes such as walking and cycling paths. Under TEA 21, pathways designed according to the required standards are eligible for:

• 80% Federal financing
• 10% State financing

The town is required to provide 10% financing. To become eligible for the Federal and State matching funds the Marion Pathway Committee must prepare and submit an engineering design. The submission of an engineering design to the State review agencies moves Marion up in the list of towns applying for funds.

The estimated cost to design and build the pathway from the Marion/Mattapoisett town line to Washburn Park in accordance to the TEA 21 standards is $1,160,000 of which the Town's share is $116,000 (10%). The Town must first submit a Planning Application including the design which is estimated to cost $91,800.

The Friends of the Marion Pathway Committee is appealing to all those interested in bringing the benefits of a multiuse pathway to Marion to help us raise the $91,800 needed for the engineering design that will allow the Marion Pathway Committee to submit the Planning Application.

The most recent meeting of the Friends of the Marion Pathway Committee was held on January 12, 2006. An update of the ongoing progress being made by the Marion Pathway Committee was presented and ideas for the upcoming Capital Campaign kickoff event were discussed.

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser