The Stowe Recreation Path, also called the Stowe Bike Path, is a greenway located in

Stowe, Vermont Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,223 at the 2020 census. The town lies on Vermont Routes 108 and 100. It is nicknamed "The Ski Capital of the East" and is home to Stowe Mountain Resort, a ski fa ...

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The recreation trail was built in two phases, 1981–84 and 1986–89, at a total cost of

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

680,000. The Stowe Recreation Path has received several awards and honors, and many people consider it a great improvement to the town."History of the Stowe Recreation Path"
Town of Stowe

Beginnings

The planning for a recreation path in Stowe was initiated in 1964 to combat heavy traffic on the Mountain Road (Route 108). The Stowe Better Business Association voted in favor of constructing a walking path running parallel to the Mountain Road in an attempt to reduce traffic. The idea was forgotten until 13 years later. In 1977, Claire Lintilhac commissioned the Vermont Highway Department to design a route along the Mountain Road. Plans were made, but nothing was done with them for four years. In 1981, a Bike Path Coordinator, Anne Lusk, was hired, and funds and land were acquired.

Construction and extension

Between 1981 and 1984, the first of the wide trail were paved and 16 bridges were constructed at a cost of $300,000.

Easements An easement is a nonpossessory right to use or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. It is "best typified in the right of way which one landowner, A, may enjoy over the land of another, B". An easement is a property rig ...

across the 27 different parcels of land the path crossed were donated to the town.Lusk, Anne (November/December 1989). "Stowe, Vermont, Builds a Greenway: A Multi-purpose Path Rejuvenates Community Life" in ''Small Town'', pp 14-21. A extension to the path was constructed between 1986 and 1989 at a cost of $380,000. In addition to the fundraising techniques used for the first leg, $120,000 was solicited from the town's tax funds. Due to the popularity of the first leg, the funds were granted. This second leg crossed land owned by 4 people, mostly agricultural land and included the construction of 4 bridges. When finished, the Bike Path was long, and had been completed at a cost of $680,000.

Funding

The $680,000 to build the path came from many sources. $186,000 came from private sources, $178,000 came from the Land and Water Conservation Funds, $134,000 came from the Lintilhac Foundation, which was started by Claire Lintilhac, $120,000 was set aside from local

taxes A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

, and $62,000 came from Revenue Sharing Funds. The majority of the $186,000 raised privately was acquired by selling pieces of the path: an inch cost $2, a foot was $15, and a yard was $45. Many people bought these sections, and a good deal of money was raised"The Stowe Recreation Path - Stowe, VT"
Vermont Living though the Bike Path is maintained using tax money.

Awards

The Stowe Recreation Path has received several

awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

. *

Land and Water Conservation Fund The United States' Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a federal program that was established by Act of Congress in 1965 to provide funds and matching grants to federal, state and local governments for the acquisition of land and water, an ...

Award

The Town of Stowe is to be commended both for this highly successful project as well as for their leadership in helping other communities develop similar greenways.

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Finalist Award

Out of 540 nominations from 48 states 208 finalists were chosen by the Blue Ribbon Panel of Judges. Stowe was one of two to receive this National honor for Vermont.

* Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence Finalist

The project was truly a community effort: the Town of Stowe was the developer; the property owners were the planners; townspeople and visitors were members of the advisory committee.

* 1000 Points of Light by President Bush

The President today named the community of Stowe, Vermont as the 119th 'Daily Point of Light.' The Stowe Community united to preserve and enhance its environment by creating the Stowe Recreation Path and Town Greenway.

* 786th

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

Initiated at home, supported by State and Federal programs, and winner of numerous awards, the Stowe Recreation Path helps visitors and residents alike enjoy one of
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
's - and the Nation's - most beautiful valleys.

The Recreation Path today

The Stowe Recreation Path draws many tourists, both from in-state and out-of-state. The residents of Stowe and surrounding areas cooperated to fund and build the Recreation Path, and their pride in it is very evident. The path starts behind the Community Church and ends a little ways away behind Topnotch. It is open 365 days a year and popular activities on the path are

biking Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

inline skating Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...

, and

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...

in the summer, and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

in the winter.

References

{{Vermont hiking trails Stowe, Vermont Hiking trails in Vermont National Recreation Trails in Vermont Protected areas of Lamoille County, Vermont