By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES— The cause might be worthy. 

But, the Causeway does not offer the most in terms of public safety.

Upon hearing that more than 2,000 cyclists will be passing through Naples as part of Trek Across Maine — a well-established bicycle race to raise money for the American Lung Association, the locally elected officials weren’t thrilled. The predicted date for this increase in bicycle traffic is Father’s Day weekend. 

The Naples Board of Selectmen expressed some concern about public safety, given that the Causeway gets chaotic during the summer with a mix of pedestrians and vehicular traffic of all shapes and sizes. There are lots of distractions for the driver while driving across the Naples Causeway; and it is not a road that can be blocked off for the duration of the race. 

“If it is a nice weekend, the traffic and the people parking on the side of the street for the bicyclists to get around will be an interesting chore — to speak the least,” according to Vice-Chair Bob Caron II 

“We cannot block any parking spots to give them more access to be just off the sidewalk because that is going to limit what our businesses can take” for parking, Caron said. 

Caron told the town manager to keep in contact with the organizers about the expected timeframe. If is earlier in the morning, it might be better for us to accommodate 100s of cyclists coming through.

Luckily, the deputy from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will be on duty during that weekend in June, Caron said. 

“Our public safety crews will be on stand-by that day,” Naples Town Manager John Hawley said. “And, we have offered [the event organizers] any other assistance they may need for traffic safety.” 

He introduced the topic to the selectmen, sayinghe was giving them a heads up.

“We have been informed that the route for this year’s American Lung Association’s Trek Across Maine will pass through Naples on the weekend of Father's Day. There are no scheduled pit stops in Naples: however, about 2,000 bicyclists will come through town across the Causeway, I believe, on Saturday, June 18,” he said.  Theofficial route has not yet been publicized, he said. 

“Although the actual route had not been finalized I believe the cyclists were going to be coming down Route 35, turning right onto Route 302 and then left onto Route 114,” Hawley said. 

“Naturally, not all of the bikes will come through simultaneously, so it could be several hours,” he said. 

Selectman Colin Brackett, like Vice-Chair Caron, said he was worried about the extra traffic.

“Father’s Day weekend last year, restaurants did stuff on their own,” he said, referring to live music being played at establishments despite the absence of the Blues Fest. 

“That is a busy time of the year to shut down a portion of the highway. Not closed, but [slowed down with] bike traffic. You stick 2,000 bikes, 100 bikes at a whack,” Brackett said. “That’s combined traffic with potential Blues Fest or just Father’s Day traffic.” 

The town manager interjected.

“Technically,they don’t need our permission,” Hawley said. 

“One of the reasons they did call me was because they were aware that was the same weekend as Blues Fest. We haven’t had Blues Fest for two years here,” he said. 

None of the organizers have approached the town, saying whether this annual music festival is being held in 2022, he said.

Hawley guessed that the Trek Across Maine route would go around Sebago Lake. He figured the trek participants would leave the starting point of Brunswick on Friday, and arrive in Naples sometime Saturday.