Comments re: MaineDOT South Portland, Multi-Use Path Extension project

[Christian MilNeil]

Hi Melissa and Brian,

I'm submitting these comments via the MaineDOT virtual public meeting website but wanted to make sure they're elevated to the two people most responsible for making sure this project succeeds.

I want to preface my comments by reminding you that MaineDOT and municipalities both face mounting budget shortfalls to maintain the state's overbuilt highway system: gas tax revenues are declining while maintenance and repair backlogs are growing, and the costs of conducting maintenance work are increasing. At the same time, we have a new state climate plan that requires us to plan for a future where we replace a significant amount of automotive traffic with increased bike, pedestrian, and transit use.

In that context, it is absolutely critical that municipalities and MaineDOT take every opportunity in capital projects like this one to reduce long-term costs by reducing the footprint of roadways and prioritizing the safety and comfort of travelers who aren't in cars. If we don't, we're just adding to our cities' and the state's unfunded liabilities and debts.

As currently designed, the proposed MaineDOT multi-use path extension along Broadway, Lincoln Street, and Vachon Drive misses several opportunities to meet these challenges.

For starters, the proposed 8' path along Broadway - essentially a wide sidewalk - clearly fails to meet FHWA standards for shared-use pathways, especially when we consider that part of the sidewalk's width will be obstructed by utility poles.

While FHWA allows for 8' paths "in rare circumstances," that's only if "bicycle traffic is expected to be low, even on peak days or during peak hours, (and) pedestrian use of the facility is not expected to be more than occasional."

Those caveats absolutely do not apply here, where the proposed facility will serve as the exclusive pedestrian connection between two fairly dense residential neighborhoods and also connect two well-used bike trails (the Greenbelt and the Veterans Bridge path). 

FHWA and AASHTO standards do, however, allow for 10' or 11' travel lanes on minor urban arterials like Broadway - and this offers MaineDOT a design solution that would both make room for an adequate 12' wide pathway, while also improving safety and mitigating MaineDOT's growing budget problems.

This is a low-speed roadway bracketed by two traffic lights, and thus the risks of lane departure crashes are extremely low (especially compared to the risks of pedestrian injury on multi-lane roadways).

By narrowing the lane width of Broadway's 4 lanes on this segment, MaineDOT and South Portland can reduce vehicle speeds and crosswalk crossing distances to improve safety, AND reduce the long-term maintenance and pollution liabilities associated with the city's excessive asphalt. 

Along similar lines, if MaineDOT is rebuilding the curb of Billy Vachon Drive, why is it proposing an absurdly excessive 18' motor vehicle lane with a 6' shoulder? I'll stress again that MaineDOT can not afford to maintain its pavement - so why should we saddle ourselves with more pavement that nobody needs?

Compared with the current design, a more reasonable 11' lane with 2' shoulder here could make room for a planted esplanade to provide shade and stormwater treatment, plus winter snow storage. A more reasonable lane width here would also reduce by 10,000 square feet the amount of pavement that MaineDOT and South Portland need to pay for (or, in a more likely scenario, watch crumble) in the decades to come.

Thanks for your attention, and thanks in advance for your necessary work in creating a more financially sustainable, safer, and resilient transportation system.

Yours,

Christian MilNeil

Christian MilNeil
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[Zack Barowitz]

Great letter, maybe it will spark an epiphany!

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