Polling shows Mainers support trails

In October of 2019, Critical Insights, a longstanding professional survey group in Portland, Maine, conducted its semi-annual Critical Insights of Maine survey of Maine registered voters. The survey covers 600 randomly selected respondents, and has a sampling error of +/- 3.9% at a 95% confidence level. A coalition of Maine trail-affiliated groups, led by the Merrymeeting Trail coalition, purchased three questions to include in the survey.

 Scroll down for a summary, and feel free to download the polling results (PDF).

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Question 1: In the past year, how many times, if at all, have you walked, jogged, or ridden bicycles on trails in Maine (your best guess is fine)?

The survey revealed that over 60% of Maine people age 18 or over used trails in the past year – and half of those did more than 10 times. This activity was true statewide, and among all age groups.

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Question 2: How would you feel about creating new recreation trails on the unused railroad tracks in Maine, if the trails could be converted back for railroad use whenever needed?

Support for creating trails on unused railroad beds is strong, broad, and deep. Six of seven voters overall, and a majority of every demographic and political group in Maine, supports the idea of “trails until rails” – using currently idle railroad beds for trail use, until such time as rail use proves viable.

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Photo credit (top): Jessica Masse, Blueberry Ledges at Baxter State Park

Question 3: In general, would you support or oppose a state bond issue to build and expand outdoor recreation trails in Maine?

There is also strong, deep, and wide support for a state bond issue to support trail development in Maine. Three in four total voters support a bond issue, including a majority of residents in every region, of all ages, and even among people who don’t use trails at all.