gorham east west corridor feasibility study

Gorham East West Corridor Feasibility Study

Public Informational MeetingOctober 8, 2009

Public Meeting Agenda• Welcome and Introductions

• Study Background, Purpose, and Overview

• Economic Outlook

• Linking Land Use and Transportation Planning

• Input Session: Benefits, opportunities and drawbacks of projected growth

• Study Findings To-Date

• What’s Next

Gorham East West Feasibility Study

• Why are we here– Discuss what this Study needs to achieve– Provide important information that affects you

• Why conduct this Study?– Serious congestion and safety issues– Regional growth– Four communities looking ahead: worked with

Legislature to request Study

Gorham East West Feasibility Study

• Why are you here– Want public input on information presented– Have we overlooked or missed anything

Background• Congestion likely to increase/safety issues

• Over last 10 years - fastest growing region in Maine

• Gorham Bypass one piece of the solution

• A range of additional solutions likely

• This is not JUST a transportation study - looking at land use/land development patterns is key to finding the right solutions

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Study Purpose

• Evaluate feasible transportation strategies and corresponding land use actions

• Consistent with federal and state requirements: NEPA and STPA

• Include all affected communities and relevant stakeholders

• Open and unbiased process• No predetermined outcome• Purpose and Need Statement developed by

stakeholders outlines goals and values

Study Overview

• Started in Spring of 2009• 15-month Study (to June 2010)• First 6 months

• Collecting and summarizing data• Working with Steering and Advisory Committees• Developed Purpose and Need Statement

• Rest of 2009:• Work with communities and committees to develop

growth scenarios and measures of effectiveness

Study Overview (cont.)

• January/February 2010• Brainstorm all possible transportation and land

use strategies (solutions)

• March-June 2010• Analyze transportation and land use strategies• Identify recommended strategy(s)

Employment-Population Changes in the South Portland-

Scarborough-Gorham-Westbrook Region

A Preliminary Outlook

Cumberland County Population

York County Population

Total Population Growth

14% 38% 24% 31%

Employment

Total Employment Growth

30% 22% 25% 11%

Major Economic Development Issues

• The Most Jobs: Retail and Services– The Retail Hangover– Professional and technical services– Health:

• Ambulatory Health Services• Social Assistance

• Fastest Growing – Amusement and recreation services– Social assistance – Museums– Nursing/Ambulatory Health

Three Keys to Transportation-Economic Growth Link

• Access – ease of moving goods and people

• Agglomeration - benefits that occur when locating near each other

• Avoided Costs – these include:– Cost of utilities– Cost of transportation/moving goods – Local costs

Gorham

Scarborough

Westbrook

South Portland

Where Jobs are Located

Gorham

Scarborough

Westbrook

South Portland

Trade, Health, Professional-Tech Services

Professional-Technical Services

Trade

Health-Social Assistance

Where Key Jobs are Located

Planning for Land Use and Transportation

Why Plan for Land Use and Transportation?

• First, it makes sense: managing land use can reduce demand on highways

• Second, Maine’s laws require careful consideration of how development will affect and be affected by “significant” transportation projects

Does Managing Land Use Make a Difference?

• Transportation is simply a way of connecting one land use to another: home to work, business to warehouse, skier to ski resort, worker to lunchtime restaurant

• Over last 40 years, trend has been to separate one type of land use from another and put more distance between them

• This pattern has contributed to:• highway demand and congestion, • reduced choices in feasible ways of getting from one

place to another, and,• the conversion of thousands of extra acres of rural land

into development

Land Use Decisions Do Matter

Certain arrangements of land use can: • Reduce traffic volumes by 20% - 30% compared with a

spread-out pattern of development• Improve safety and traffic flow by managing access onto

and off the roads• Increase choice in how to move about – walking,

bicycling, ride-sharing, transit as well as single-occupancy auto

• Help preserve rural and scenic character of highways (by avoiding excessive commercial strips)

An Example – Reduced need for Autos

Why Plan for Land Use and Transportation…together?

• The State’s major metropolitan economy will continue to put pressure on the land market, rural character, and the transportation system

• While land use is regulated locally, the market operates regionally

• Each community has something to gain and lose –

fiscally, character of community – from the decisions of neighbors

• This region has begun to think about the transportation – land use connection– PACTS “Destination Tomorrow”– Revised zoning approaches– Leadership in transit TIF legislation

The approach to measuring effect of land use

• Where will next 50,000 jobs & 50,000 homes go, and how will this affect the transportation system?

• Study Approach to include two land use scenarios:

• Low Density Scenario: An extension of the last 25 years.• Land Use/Transportation Scenario: Evaluate the results of

adopting land use policies and infrastructure investments that follow best practices with respect to the 4 Ds (density, distance, design, diversity)

• Evaluated by “measures of effectiveness”

How decide on an “alternative” land use scenario?

• Technical workshops with community planners and leaders and Steering Committee

• Review by Advisory Committee• Review by Public

Audience Feedback

• Question for You:– In your opinion, is growth in your

community a problem or a benefit?• Is the problem the amount of growth or the

location of growth?• Specific examples are welcome

Suggested Protocol

–NO SOLUTIONS!–Please state your name, town,

organization if applicable–Please speak into the

microphone

Study Findings to Date

What did we collect and why??

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Study Findings Categories

• Natural and Physical Resources• Land Use• Transportation• Other

Natural and Physical Resources

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1

2

Rare Species1.New England Cottontail2.Upland Sandpiper

Rare Species1.New England Cottontail2.Wood Turtle3.Spotted Turtle

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1

2

Rare Species1.New England Cottontail2.Upland Sandpiper

1

13

5

4

1 6

1

1

7

1

1

3. Blanding’s Turtle4. Eastern Box Turtle5. Least Bittern

6. Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed sparrow7. Harlequin Duck

Rare Species1.New England Cottontail

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Land Use

Transportation

Other DataData Status

PACTS Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan To be completed Fall 09

Regional Bus Routes Study Begin Fall 09

Regional Transit Map and Timetables COMPLETED!!

Regional Transportation Plan (Destination Tomorrow) 2006 Study being updated, complete by June 2010

Portland Peninsula Transit Study COMPLETED !!

Maine State Rail Plan Ongoing – to be completed Fall 09/Early 10

Mountain Division Branch – Stimulus Application COMPLETED !!

What’s Next?• Land Use workshops this Fall to prepare for next

Public Meeting

• Public Meeting in early 2010 to review scenarios and how we measure them (MOEs)

• Public Meeting in Spring 2010 to review initial findings and recommendations

• Review data and COMMENT via:

www.gorhamcorridor.org