Transportation Events, News & Opportunities – June, July
Portland Green Streets Calendar
As always, please check out the Portland Green Streets Calendar for exciting upcoming transportation-related events in Greater Portland.
BY JULY 1 – Concerned about I-295 Exit 7 Pathway? Stay Tuned and/or Get Involved with Exit 7 Path Yahoo Group – Possible Public Meeting July 28
This is not yet completely official, but we’re hearing that MaineDOT and the City of Portland will be holding a public meeting on Wed. July 28th to address the proposed Scope of the upcoming Phase 2 study of the Franklin Street redesign and to give an update/answer questions on plans for Exit 7. Please mark your calendars and spread the word.
An effort is being made to get questions regarding Exit 7 to MaineDOT in advance of the meeting so that they have ample time to come with answers. Please send your questions to Alex Landry at city_mouse_us@yahoo.com by July 1 for inclusion in a letter to MDOT.
Members of the Portland Bike-Ped Advisory Committee and the League of Young Voters have set up a Yahoo Group to facilitate work on the Exit 7 Bike-Ped Path issue (a fully implemented pedestrian connection the City has requested be built between the Back Cove Trail and the intersection of Marginal Way and Franklin St. – when MaineDOT uses a federal earmark to widen the I-295 south-bound Franklin St. exit to two lanes). Other folks who want to work on or hear directly about this issue are encouraged to subscribe to the group by e-mailing Exit7BikePedPath-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bike Commuting Mentoring Matchboard!
Announcing, the Mentoring Matchboard! Join the Portland Bike Commuter Meetup if you haven;t already (it’s free) – and check out the great new message board for bike commuting mentors and mentees to find each other. IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A MENTOR, OR WOULD LIKE TO BE A MENTOR, just leave a message with your route information. Please read the two threads at the top of the Mentoring Matchboard for how the Meetup envisions it working.
Become a Friend of the Falmouth Flyer!
Friend the Falmouth Flyer on Facebook! Riding the Falmouth Flyer (METRO Bus #7) – to see friends and family, do an outing at ME Audubon’s Gilsland Farm, shop at local businesses in Falmouth or Portland, take in a movie, etc. is a great way for Greater Portland residents to support our region, save gas money, lead a more active lifestyle, increase our country’s energy security, and have fun. So join Friends of the Falmouth Flyer!
Summer Youth Bus Passes Available
For only $20, children and teens – ages 18 and younger – can ride METRO and the South Portland City Bus from June through August. For more information, visit www.gpmetrobus.com or contact: Denise Beck – dbeck@gpmetrobus.com
Green Streeter Bruce Hyman Hired to be New Portland Bike-Pedestrian Coordinator
Experienced local planner and Green Streeter Bruce Hyman was just hired by the City of Portland to be the new Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator. Part of the “Communities Putting Prevention to Work” grant, this 2-year position is dedicated to developing sustainable policy and environmental strategies that improve access to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and promote active transportation and a healthy community. Bruce will be housed in the Department of Public Services and work closely with the Public Health Division. Responsibilities will include the development of local roadway design standards that improve bicycle-pedestrian access and safety; assistance with bicycle-pedestrian educational and promotional campaigns; offering educational presentations to and seeking feedback from a broad range of community groups and governmental agencies; building partnerships with other agencies and transportation system professionals; developing and seeking endorsement of a “Complete Streets” policy. The City had a strong pool of applicants with great work experience and passion for bicycle and pedestrian concerns – so thank to those who applied and congratulations to Bruce! This is great news for the bicycle and pedestrian world.
Veterans Memorial Bridge Replacement Project Traffic Impacts and Announcements
Construction on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which connects Portland and South Portland off of Route 295, begins this Monday, June 21st.
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians should be aware that during construction, there will be a full closure of the existing Veterans Memorial Bridge southbound sidewalk and shoulder starting Monday, June 28. There will also be daily southbound lane closures as necessary during off-peak traffic hours for construction activities. Traffic during peak hours on weekdays from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. will not be affected.
The new bridge is scheduled to open to traffic in summer 2012, at which time the old Veterans Memorial Bridge will be removed. The entire project will be complete by December 2012. “Since the existing bridge will remain open during construction of the new bridge, disruption to traffic is expected to be minimal,” says Jeff Folsom, project manager from The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT).
The project team, made up of MaineDOT, Reed & Reed, Inc., T.Y. Lin and their subcontractors spent the last three months conducting a series of meetings with stakeholder groups. A variety of citizens representing public works, bike/pedestrian groups, Portland Trails, veterans groups, city officials, neighbors and nearby businesses provided detailed recommendations on various design elements of the bridge.
The resulting bridge design incorporates 3 overlooks on the bridge and two landscaped parks on each end to reinforce the gateway experience. The Portland side will feature a memorial park recognizing the five branches of the military while the memorial park on the South Portland will be dedicated to the merchant marines. The three overlooks along the bridge will feature interpretive installations with emphasis on area historical, marine, environmental and transportation-related topics.
The project website www.VeteransMemorialBridge.org will be updated regularly to include traffic updates, possible detours and progress on construction.