For decades, American transportation planning has focused primarily on automobiles. This has lead to urban sprawl, gridlock, the paving over of farmland and wilderness areas, and a dramatic deterioration in the quality of the air we breath and the water we drink. And, contrary to popular belief, bigger highways have NOT solved the highway congestion problem; in fact they have made it worse by perpetuating a system where almost everybody needs a car to get to work, to go shopping, to go to the beach, or to visit friends and relatives.

However, the 1992 passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was cause for excitement among planners and citizens seeking alternative solutions to transportation problems that have plagued cities throughout the United States. For the first time, a significant portion of federal transportation dollars were set aside to fund bicycle and pedestrian transportation networks. This Federal program of using federal highway funds to build bicycle routes has continued under the TEA-21 program.

This regional network of well designed bicycle routes has the potential to greatly enhance the quality of life for the entire population in the Seacoast region by:

• Providing a safe alternate means of transportation for commuters, students and visitors that is environmentally friendly and promotes good health;

• Reducing traffic congestion and air pollution (especially ground level ozone);

• Increasing recreational opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians;

• Encouraging economic development by making the region more desirable place to live work, and visit.