That was close...

Author: Andrew Howard '06

As the weather finally gets warmer, roads and trails around campus come alive with runners and cyclists. Exercising on the beautiful back roads of Vermont is yet another aspect of what makes the Middlebury experience so unique.

However, biking and running excursions can often be dangerous. With narrow shoulders and blind corners, many of the roads around campus are not completely safe for human powered traffic and many people have experienced a "close call" with a motor vehicle at some point during their time at Middlebury. This is especially true on Route 125, heading west toward Cornwall. Despite its obvious dangers, this busy thoroughfare continues to be used by runners and cyclists as a way to connect to other, less hazardous routes in the towns of Cornwall, Weybridge and Middlebury.

The Cornwall Path Project is a group of students, faculty and staff who are trying to solve this problem. For the past two years we have been studying the possibility of developing a multi-use path on College land, connecting Bicentennial Way with James Road. This path might run parallel to Route 125, or it might take a more circuitous route through the fields west of McCardell Bicentennial Hall.

In mid-May, the Path committee will present a formal proposal for the range of options we hope the administration will consider as part of its long-term strategic planning for a pedestrian campus.

While we have gathered a great deal of information about how and where an off-road path might be built, we need to know more about how important such a path would be to the College community.

Specifically, if you or someone you know has had a "close call" or accident while running or cycling on Route 125, we want to know about it. Please send the details of your experience to committee member Chip Winner, microcomputer services coordinator, at winner@middlebury.edu. Let Chip know if we may mention you by name in the proposal or if you would prefer to remain anonymous. If you have questions about our project or would like to become involved in our efforts, please contact me at ahoward@middlebury.edu.