Archived News

Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 4:26 pm

Congratulations to the Sebago to the Sea Trail Coalition, which has finally realized its dream of creating a continuous trail from Sebago Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. Now, we’d like to see the Eastern Trail Alliance, which has made equally great strides in recent years connecting sections of former rail line along the southern coast of Maine, finally create an unbroken link from Kittery to South Portland.

The Sebago to the Sea Trail has been in existence since 2012, thanks to the members of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, which took it upon themselves to work with landowners and the state to carve a trail from Sebago Lake to the ocean. It starts out in the woods of the Sebago Lake Land Reserve, owned by the Portland Water District, and follows the Mountain Division Rail Trail from Standish into Gorham, past the Maine Correctional Facility in Windham and then into Westbrook, where it follows Bridge Street and East Bridge Street until plunging back into the woods along the Presumpscot River. It crosses into Portland near Riverton and then follows the Presumpscot through Riverside Golf Course and into Falmouth near the highway overpass on Blackstrap Road. From there it wends its way, sometimes on streets, sometimes on paths, through residential Portland and finally meets the sea at East End Beach, where “through-hikers” can celebrate with a dip in the ocean.

While envisioned as far back as 2007, when the coalition started meeting, in 2012 the group announced that the final connection of the trail was in place. But the news carried with it a caveat, that the 5-mile section from Gorham into Westbrook had to be completed by boat along the Presumpscot since an overland route was delayed due to construction on a section of rail line. Now that rail bed reconstruction is complete, coalition members are installing signage this spring to direct trail users along the completed rail section where users will be allowed to walk alongside the new tracks. So, about a decade after their vision was born, the overland Sebago to the Sea is a reality, and we think that’s a great thing not only for local hikers and cyclists, but also for further enhancing the reputation of Greater Portland as a haven for outdoor activities. The 28-mile trail is certainly a feather in the cap of the communities it passes through.

We also hope people take advantage of this new trail and have a lot of fun along the way. There are places to swim, eat picnic lunches and, of course, observe nature. Parts of the trail, which follows about 13 miles of the pancake-flat Mountain Division rail line, already get a lot of usage, and we feel this final link in the chain will increase pedestrian and bicycle traffic even more.

Read the full article on-line here.

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No surprise here – two sections of the Eastern Trail were among 6 trails recognized as family-friendly community bike trails in Maine, according to the 4/30 Portland Press Herald. 

Scarborough Marsh – “This trail is a lot of fun for birding enthusiasts if you want to make frequent stops to look at the marsh birds. The smooth, packed-gravel surface and lack of hills on this path make for a very easy and pleasant ride with kids.”

Greenbelt Walkway in South Portland – “The diversity of sights along this trail is fun – from a view of the water and lovely backyard gardens (the trail abuts quite a few homes) to the woods and open fields. And Mill Creek Park and Bug Light are great spots for a picnic lunch.”

Check out the full article here.

Amtrak’s Downeaster welcomed as seasonal economic boost

By Faith Gillman Staff writer |  Posted: Friday, December 26, 2014

KENNEBUNK -The last time a train stopped at the station on Depot Road in Kennebunk, Lyndon Johnson was president. That same year “Downtown” by Petula Clark, and The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” were at the top of the Billboard charts. 

Fifty years have passed since riders were able to hop on a train in Kennebunk. But now that a seasonal stop on Amtrak’s Downeaster line has been approved for the town, passengers will soon be able to ride the rails and visit downtown and neighboring areas from Kennebunk once again – providing, supporters hope, a welcome seasonal economic boost.

Plans to bring the train back are well under way, according to Mat Eddy, Kennebunk’s economic development director. 

“We got the green light from Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (in May 2014) and hired Sebago Technics to do a conceptual drawing,” said Eddy. “We will have a 300-foot platform (that) will allow for bicycles to be loaded and unloaded at the stop.”

When the train does stop, it will do so at Kennebunk’s original station, which is now home to Dietz Associates, a design and advertising firm. The building and the business are owned by Tim and Kathy Dietz of Kennebunk. The town is negotiating a lease with Dietz Associates, which will continue its operations from the depot, but will offer space in the building for ticket sales and a waiting room for passengers. Tim Dietz is onboard with the project.

“We do want it for the town and for us,” said Dietz. “Kathy and I are delighted to have the building come back to its original use. We love this building. It’s exciting for it to be the focus of activity, and everyone involved has been working well together.”

Dietz, who is a bit of a history buff, did a considerable amount of research on the building to find out as much as he could about its history. 

“The foundation for the station was laid in 1872,” said Dietz, “which was discovered at the Brick Store Museum while reading the day-to-day diary of Andrew Walker (Kennebunk’s town clerk during the mid-19th century). And at one time the stationmaster here was given an award for the most beautiful garden of any train station. Kennebunk was spelled in flowers in the garden.”

Read the entire article online here

Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 9:42 pm | Updated: 9:44 pm, Wed Dec 10, 2014.

By Kate Irish Collins kcollins@keepmecurrent.com

SCARBOROUUGH – It’s been at least seven years since town leaders in Scarborough first began talking about making Oak Hill more walkable.

Now, the town’s Ad Hoc Transportation Committee is hoping to get the final designs for upgrading the intersection by enhancing crosswalks and making changes to better address pedestrian and motorist safety in early 2015.

In a memo sent to the Town Council recently, the committee said its goal is to get the final engineering plan in February and then put the project out to bid in either late February or early March, with a completion date of mid-June.

Town Planner Dan Bacon said this week that $300,000 collected through the assessment of impact fees on development projects in Oak Hill will be used to pay for the improvements, which include new crosswalk striping and the construction of “pedestrian refugee islands.”

The other elements of the project include installing new pedestrian signals that would prohibit right-hand turns when the button is pushed, increased lighting, construction of a sidewalk and the narrowing of the entrance to the Citgo station along Black Point Road.

The project also calls for the elimination of the right-hand turn lane heading southbound on U.S. Route 1 and the construction of a rumble strip in the left-hand turn lane heading northbound on Route 1. The goal of the rumble strip is to lessen the number of car accidents happening at the intersection of Route 1 and Fairfield Road, near the fire station.

This project will complement work that’s already been done, including the construction of a sidewalk along Black Point Road to connect the Eastern Trail to Oak Hill, a flashing crosswalk sign at the intersection of the Eastern Trail and Black Point Road, the installation of sidewalks and crosswalks between Route 1 and Hannaford Drive and traffic-calming islands and crosswalk improvements at the intersection of Hannaford Drive and Gorham Road.

In addition, the Transportation Committee said, the town has secured another $440,000 in funding from the Maine Department of Transportation, under its Safe Routes to School program, to expand the current sidewalk network in Oak Hill from the school campus up Gorham Road to Sawyer Road and to the Oak Hill Plaza.

The Transportation Committee was established by the Town Council in 2012 to work on pedestrian and safety improvements in and around Oak Hill. However, construction on those upgrades was put off while the town dealt with other road projects, including the reconstruction in Dunstan Corner and on Pleasant Hill Road.

Read the entire article online here

MaineDOT Commissioner Bernhardt signed a new policy on June 14th, 2014 that outlines important elements of Maine’s improved project planning and development processes. Complete Streets policies have a foundation in federal law, guidance, and best practices, and have been signed into law or policy in states and communities throughout the nation.

The MaineDOT Complete Streets Policy, developed in 2013 and 2014 through extensive internal and external stakeholder processes, outlines how MaineDOT and its project partners will consider the needs of all users when planning and developing projects. The intent of this policy is to help ensure that all users of Maine’s transportation system—our customers—including bicyclists, pedestrians, people of all ages and abilities, transit users, and motor vehicle users, have safe and efficient access to the transportation system.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has a long history of providing for the needs of all modes of travel in the planning, programming, design, rehabilitation, maintenance, and construction of the state’s transportation system. This policy is intended to improve Maine’s project delivery processes to help improve and maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system that supports the mobility and economic needs of our state.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has a long history of providing for the needs of all modes of travel in the planning, programming, design, rehabilitation, maintenance, and construction of the state’s transportation system.   This policy is intended to improve Maine’s project delivery processes to help improve and maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system that supports the mobility and economic needs of our state.

The following is a link to the policy:

• MaineDOT Complete Streets Policy

The following is a link to the MaineDOT Complete Streets web page, which also has links to many related policies, laws, rules, guides, and training programs.

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/completestreets/

Dan Stewart
MaineDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager
Bureau of Planning
Outreach Division
Maine Department of Transportation
16 State House Station
Augusta ME 04333
207-624-3252
E-mail: dan.stewart@maine.gov
Web:http://www.maine.gov/mdot/bikeped/