Harwich officials are moving to tighten safety enforcement on the Cape Cod Rail Trail as the town prepares for a regional summit with neighboring Brewster and Chatham. During the January 20 meeting of the Bikeways Committee, Chair Fred Rice emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to trail management before the busy summer season begins. We need to set up a joint meeting with Brewster and Chatham, Rice said, noting that both towns have reached out to synchronize efforts. I would think the sooner the better so that we could come up with some ideas and then implement them for the summer.

Safety enforcement dominated the discussion, specifically regarding speed limits and the rise of e-bikes. Following regional trends where Brewster has already secured police commitments for trail monitoring, Harwich members discussed bringing law enforcement onto the paths to monitor stop signs and the 15 mile per hour speed limit. Paul Gazide suggested utilizing seasonal personnel to manage the crowds, noting that a lot of the police departments have summer interns or summer people that would bike. They wouldn't have authority, but they could probably get people to slow down. Jim Ferry supported the idea of an increased presence, specifically during the peak months of July and August, suggesting the committee reach out to the police department's traffic safety liaison to discuss formal patrols.

The committee is also tracking potential legislative changes that could mandate helmets for e-bike riders and potentially ban high-speed models from multi-use paths. Rice noted that discussions intensified about stricter e-bike regulations focusing on enforcing the 15 mile per hour speed limit, a move that mirrors broader Cape-wide debates over path safety as the town considers standardizing rules with the state.

On the infrastructure front, Ferry reported that the trail extension past Willow Street is now fully paved and functional. I did ride the trail to Chatham before this most recent freeze and it was fine, Ferry said. Also, the trail is open on the other side of Willow Street now. It's paved and ridable. It's beautiful, winding. They made it very wide. Rice added that once the bridge is completed near Mary Dunn Road, riders will be able to officially extend their trips this spring, though he noted the current path remains passable despite the winter weather.

The board is also navigating administrative transitions, including the move to official town email accounts and mandatory state conflict of interest training. While discussing the biannual compliance requirements, Pauline Tease noted she had not yet received the notification, asking other members, I didn't get it. Did you check your town email by any chance? To ensure compliance, Rice confirmed he would begin sending all future agendas exclusively to the official Harwich-mass.ma.gov addresses. The committee is also looking to fill a vacancy left by a former member, with Rice noting that a candidate named Richard is scheduled for an interview with the Select Board. To support early spring tourism, the committee confirmed it has a stock of 2,000 trail maps ready for distribution to the Chamber of Commerce and visitor centers.

Earlier in the meeting, the committee handled routine business. Motion Made by P. Gazide to approve the October meeting minutes. Motion Passed 4-0.