Maine DOT plans for 'minor' changes at Franklin and Marginal Way

[Myles G. Smith]

Hello folks,

I happened across the Maine DOT plans for this intersection, which were apparently posted yesterday: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/299824e3924b45aea76a3415e689eb1c

I left a comment that this plan is not good enough to protect pedestrians. Yet again, Maine DOT seems to be prioritizing traffic speed and volume from I-295 through this intersection over all safety concerns, even after this failed intersection got Diane Bell killed last year. 

My comments:

• Narrow the intersection at all corners
• Eliminate right-turn on red at all points
• Make the pedestrian phase a default setting, and the beg button provide a longer phase and pedestrian priority
• Make Franklin a single-phase pedestrian crossing
• Revert the northbound Exit 7 offramp to one lane with a yield sign, as it was until Maine DOT 'improved' this intersection a decade ago. The two lanes and green signal arrows encourages speeding and running the red lights at Marginal a few feet beyond the intersection.
• Install red flashing beacons at the Cross Town trail to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to cross where the trail actually is, rather than divert them to an unsafe intersection
• Narrow all the offramps to encourage reduce speeds

Ultimately, I-295 must be converted to a city-scale boulevard or its offramps will remain death traps for all of us. 

Myles

[Derek M. Strout]

Thanks for highlighting this, Myles. Agreed on all points and I will submit comments. The fact that people biking/walking/rolling need to stop at the landing in the middle of Franklin and beg to cross the rest of the way is ridiculous. A single-phase (?) might be part of this plan, but I didn’t see it. Crossing Marginal on the Bayside Trail - even with a child bike seat on - I’ve been grazed by more than one giant pickup blowing through signs and lights turning south from Marginal onto Franklin.

Derek

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[George Rheault]

A quick comment:  A camera system for this intersection should have been installed a long time ago.  It would have helped capture the awful recent pedestrian death and provide a clear basis for what exactly went wrong there.  It would also help police identify serious offenders who routinely disobey signals and defensive driving requirements here in a selfish rush to save a few seconds on their commutes and daily errands.

The infrastructure for a complete camera capture of this intersection should be built into the planning NOW, whether or not the Legislature gets its ass in gear to allow direct enforcement cameras.

On Thu, Mar 5, 2026 at 9:21 AM Myles G. Smith <myles...@gmail.com> wrote:

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