Alternatives to the Gorham Divider
Mainers for Smarter Transportation compiled this report detailing the many cheaper, faster, greener, and reversible alternatives to a costly, damaging, and irreversible turnpike expansion.
Download the digital version of the report here!
This report outlines the issue of localized rush-hour congestion at the poorly designed, outdated intersections in South Gorham and North Scarborough that are choke points for regional traffic. Most of the recommendations come from other local transportation agencies (PACTS, GPCOG, MaineDOT) and municipalities. The report was reviewed and endorsed by a panel of five reputed local and national urban planners. Here just a few of the many alternatives it highlights:
Roundabouts: Installing roundabouts at congested intersections can reduce traffic congestion by 58-84%, and reduce delays during peak hours by 83-93%. Roundabouts also increase safety by reducing road movement conflicts. Improving safety was a major rationale for making changes to the area road network. A new roundabout at Brighton and Deering avenues in Portland has dramatically cut delays and accidents at the once-failed intersection, for only $5 million.
Smart traffic signals: Newly-placed smart signals along Route 1 in Scarborough have improved efficiencies of around 24% for a cost of just $350,000. By comparison, the existing stoplights along the Route 22/Route 114 overlap are outdated timed signals, which often mismanage traffic flows. Coordinating the traffic signals along this overlap area would allow more traffic to flow through the entire stretch without stopping. Modern sensor- and data-driven signals have shown better results than widening in reducing peak use delays. Scarborough is currently installing improved streetlights at two of the problematic intersections, which could be replicated throughout the area for a modest cost and in a matter of months, not decades.
Rapid transit: A long-planned bus rapid transit corridor between Gorham and Portland could attract some people to ride rather than drive, carpool, or taxi the route. Service would be faster and more frequent than current buses and even faster than driving if there are dedicated lanes, signal prioritization, station platforms with shelters. Expanding the turnpike would compete with enhanced public transit, but the MTA is not working with GPCOG or Greater Portland Metro to examine how these proposals impact each other. Phase II of the study is poised to be completed in 2024, with service beginning as soon as 2026. This is six years faster than the shortest possible highway timeline, and would cost 50-90% less than a highway.
Redesign existing roads: Other realignments of the existing roads could accommodate people biking, walking, or rolling, or improve the performance of existing roads, by adding sidewalks, cross walks, bike lanes, reversible rush-hour lanes, or better connectivity between local roads. Any of these options could benefit from the 2021 infrastructure act, which subsidizes projects on existing roads that avoid new lanes, but anything the MTA does to address the problem will mean Mainers will be footing the bills through toll payments.
Why not try some or all of these alternatives first? M4ST volunteers found that the MTA requested federal authorities exempt it from studying alternatives to a toll turnpike, which is the only thing Maine law allows it to operate. The Army Corps of Engineers denied the request, and in response, the MTA only studied widening Route 114 to 4 lanes and 100 feet, which would be almost 50% wider than 4-lane outer Congress Street in Portland. The absurdly wide road would be an eyesore and require bulldozing many more homes, which no one wants.
A review by M4ST found that traffic on the Route 22 / Route 114 corridor peaked in the late 90s and early 2000s and is down on average by 10-20%, due to an aging population and changing driving habits. While traffic delays clearly occur here, the MTA and its consultants have historically over-estimated future traffic trends in justifying turnpike expansions. This is a habit of traffic engineers across the country, as detailed in a new book by an industry insider.
Public opposition has led the MTA to announce a ‘pause and reset’ of the public engagement, alternatives analysis, and cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation. While the turnpike proposal is not dead, it will now be several years before work could possibly start. Folks in this region do not want to wait a decade for a costly, destructive, and risky alternative that may not even fix the problem. The time has come to invest in alternatives, which should ease the problem in the near term, and for a fraction of the cost.
To contact us, please email [email protected]. We are all volunteers, but we’ll try to be prompt with our replies.