The Trail is overseen by a volunteer group called The Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

 The Trail is governed by a Board of Supervisors.    

 Funding for the project is from federal funds and a local match. The local match has come from volunteer  professional services, a state bond, and locally raised cash.
  
 The KRRT and other Maine trails are scheduled to connect with the East Coast Greenway, a 2300 mile trail that  will go from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida, and will include the capitols of each state.

Kennebec River Rail Trail History

• Maine DOT purchased the rail line in 1990
• The Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail (FKRRT), a 501c3 non-profit support group, organizes volunteers and does fund raising for maintenance of the trail, form in 1996.  A vision was developed and need identified to connect the communities
• Many Public Meetings were held throughout the process
• A major need was to gain official support from all the towns
• A major fundraising effort of the FKRRT raised $140,000
• Agreements were developed and signed regarding maintenance
• Maine DOT and FHWA approved 3 Phases of applications/implementation of sections
• Rail preserved for future rail use
• 2001 First mile of trail opened between Capital Park in Augusta and Waterfront Park in Hallowell
• 2002 Trail extended another mile to downtown Augusta
• 2004 One mile of trail between Gardiner and Farmingdale opened
• 2006 YMCA recently built connector to trail from their new facility
• 2007 Final phase of trail completed in October, more than 15 years after planning started
•  Volunteers and the FKRRT maintain the corridor, with some notable assistance from the communities
• Total cost for all three sections was approximately $4.5 million

Purpose

• The purpose of the KRRT is to create an off road bicycle and pedestrian facility that connects the neighborhoods and communities within the Gardiner, Farmingdale, Hallowell and Augusta corridor.
• The trail enables people to walk, bike or use wheelchairs to get where they need to go along the corridor.

Benefits

Transportation Benefits:

• The project is a significant benefit to the surface transportation system because it provides a facility for people to walk and bike in an area where significant highway congestion exists.
• The trail helps reduce congestion on the road: as an example, many people use the trail to get to the downtowns for meeting, lunch and work.
• The trail provides safer connection for walkers, bicyclists and people in wheelchairs to get where they need or want to go.

Other Benefits:

• The Kennebec River Rail trail contributes tot eh quality of life in the four communities of Gardiner, Farmingdale, Hallowell and Augusta
• the KRRT allows people of all abilities to walk or ride along the river for recreational and transformational purposes.  The nearly flat grade (for the majority of the trail) provided by the railroad means that many elderly and people with impaired mobility will be able to use the trail.
• The trail connects 4 communities, 3 downtown areas, neighborhoods and businesses
• The KRRT will be one segment of the East Coast Greenway, a trail being developed along the eastern coast, from Key West Florida to Canada.
• It helps create vibrancy within communities
• Social benefits of people walking, biking, jogging... together
• Health benefits: is a great opportunity for people of any activity to get out there and start moving.
• Economic benefits: shows businesses and people thinking of moving to the area that this is a good place to live and work.  Also increased business for towns along the trail being accessed by trail users.
• Destination that will draw visitors from other areas of Maine and Tourists from out of state.
• In line with the Governor's "Take it Outside" initiative, the goal of which is to get our kids outdoors and active.

Impact on the Community

• People have said this trail is "one of the best things that have happened to the region"
• The trail is heavily used at all times of day
• This project will serve the people in the entire region and be an attraction to in and out of state vacationers