Final Report - VHB.com

everyday traffic for doctor visits and hospital visitors. I also love
>> Mid-Coast Hospital but I think the engineers who designed the traffic
>> flow must have been smoking something funny! The hospital has but one
>> main entrance and a smaller entrance that goes through a residential
>> area. The majority of the traffic has to enter at the main entrance
>> on the Old Bath Road and follow a winding road that leads to the
>> medical office building(s.) The Emergency Room is located on the far
>> side of the parking lot. I understand the winding road will enable
>> more medical-type building lots to be sold and developed. But I'd
>> hate to be the person in an ambulance who's had a stroke or heart
>> attach and needs "every available second" in the Emergency Room.
>> Not only is the hospital grounds a negative factor, but any emergency
>> vehicle heading to Mid-Coast has to travel on the Old Bath Road from
>> Bath, and deal with the traffic congestion at Cooks Corner whether
>> they come from the West, off Rt 1 or from Harpswell. Oh yeah, they
>> could also be coming from the Old Brunswick Road. All of these
>> vehicles also get caught up in the traffic at the two stop lights in
>> front of WalMart and Lowes.
>>
>> My first point though, is to say that the entire region that
>> depends on Mid-Coast Hospital (as opposed to Parkview) has a potential
>> calamity on their hands. If someone should die on the way to the
>> hospital because they got caught up in heavy traffic, that would be
>> horrible. But what would happen if there was a huge accident, such as
>> a train derailment or business emergency like a fire or chemical
>> explosion What would those traffic jams around Cooks Corner mean to
>> you then. And who wants to be the person who is in the
>> emergency vehicle in heavy traffic Emergencies don't just happen to
>> the guy next door, they could happen to any and everyone - from
>> Wiscasset to Lisbon, from Bailey's Island to Bowdoinham. They could be
>> a visiting dignitary, a tourist or anyone of the town counselors or
>> selectmen from Bath, Brunswick or Topsham - or they could be just an
>> ordinary citizen.
>>
>> My second point is that creating a new connection to Rt 1 onto
>> the BNAS property is a little short-sighted. All you will be doing by
>> adding a new connection is add to the already congested problems of
>> Rt 1 North into Brunswick (Pleasant Street) and the Topsham Bypass.
>>
>> My third point is that there is more money available now than
>> there ever has been or likely will be for decades to come. The State
>> of Maine needs to take advantage of the fact that we had road projects
>> ready for construction the day the stimulus money was released. The
>> state completed those projects to the delight of the relevant
>> authorities. There's money available, but only if we get our act
>> together with proposals for more road work. Planners and Developers,
>> please don't drag your feet and loose out on the unique monetary
>> incentive. Study hard but quickly, make your call, then make it
>> work. You won't be able to please everyone, but delaying things and
>> loosing out on federal funding is ludicrous.
>>
>> My proposal for a viable solution will help solve these three
>> points I've made. In reverse order, there is plenty of money
>> available to do everything I will mention. An added plus to the
>> State's argument is that not only do we have new projects ready to go,
>> but we are also dealing with the redevelopment of the BNAS property,
4