Final Report - VHB.com

4.5 Passenger Rail and Bus Rapid Transit
As traffic congestion and fuel prices increase, the demand for public transportation
will also increase. To meet this demand and to reduce the need to construct new or
wider roadways, the MaineDOT is evaluating options to expand public
transportation opportunities for communities along the I-295 corridor, including the
Brunswick and Topsham. Specifically, the MaineDOT is currently conducting the
Portland North Alternative Modes Transportation Study. The purpose of the study is
to evaluate passenger rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) between Portland and
destinations north of Portland. BRT is a relatively new type of transit mode that
incorporates the flexibility of rubber-tire buses with the speed, capacity, and
operating elements of rail service. BRT vehicles can run in either their own dedicated
rights-of-way or on roadways mixed with other traffic.
It had been hoped that the Portland North Alternative Modes Transportation Study
would have been completed and the findings presented in time for inclusion in this
Feasibility Study. The current schedule calls for the findings to be presented by the
end of 2010, but not in time for inclusion in this study. Nevertheless, whether the
findings point to the expansion of passenger rail or BRT or some combination, the
MaineDOT is committed to the implementation of multimodal options aimed at
reducing the need to construct new or wider roadways.
4.6 Strategy 1 – Direct Access to US Route 1
Strategy 1 involves evaluating the need and potential locations for improved access
from US Route 1 into the NASB. The Strategy 1 Study Area for connecting US Route
1 to the NASB begins approximately 1.0 mile south of the US Route 1/Cooks Corner
interchange, which connects US Route 1 to State Route 24/Gurnet Road in Brunswick
and extends northerly along US Route 1 for approximately 1.4 miles.
Based on input from the Study Advisory Committee and feedback from the public
workshops and public informational meetings, three Strategy 1 options were
developed to provide a direct connection from US Route 1 to the NASB. Each option
was developed to operate as efficiently as practicable while maintaining safety and
mobility by including adequate ramp geometry and appropriate access controls
along the roadways that connect to the NASB. In addition, comments received at the
public meetings highly favored the inclusion of a new pathway connecting the NASB
to the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. Efforts to avoid or minimize
impacts to environmental resources also were considered.
Summary of Options 86