WISCASSET
The business community wants a U.S. Route 1, known locally as Bath Road, that is more friendly in terms of economic development.
The state — and most motorists — would like better traffic flow on a road known for brutal traffic congestion in the summer.
Those two concerns might seem mutually exclusive. But the Bath Road Master Plan Steering Committee, which began meeting in August, wants to satisfy both interests.
“We’d like to come up with a plan that will help us achieve both those goals,” Wiscasset Town Planner Misty Parker said. “They can be conflicting. Scattered development could have a negative impact on traffic flow.”
The committee next meets on Dec. 17 at the town office, beginning at 6 p.m.
Traffic flow problems in Wiscasset are known far and wide.
According to data provided by the town, the average annual daily traffic on Bath Road is approximately 18,780 vehicles and exceeds 20,000 vehicles per day during summer months.
In comparison, Pleasant Street — also Route 1 — in Brunswick averages 25,000 vehicles per day. Segments of Route 1 in Falmouth average 15,000 vehicles per day, in Scarborough average 30,000 per day and in Camden average 6,900 per day.
But in Wiscasset, there are long delays for people looking to turn onto Bath Road.
According to notes provided by the town, “an important aspect of this plan will be to analyze the existing conditions in the corridor and determine what the buildout capacity of the corridor could be. This information will help determine what improvements would be needed to facilitate growth and reduce impact fees or other obstacles for developers in the future.”
At the end of August, traffic engineers from TY Lin, the consultant hired for the study, spent several days gathering traffic data at key intersections along Bath Road during peak travel times. This data will supplement existing DOT data to help build a strong understanding of the current conditions within the corridor, Parker said.
“In December, the committee will review traffic projections and future buildout potential,” Parker said.
Future projections will help the committee understand how the corridor may be functioning in 20 years if current development patterns continue and identify areas prone to development challenges.
Through a future projections analysis of the corridor Wiscasset will be able to develop recommendations on improvements and strategies the community can use to minimize potential impacts of development in the corridor, allowing for continued economic growth with less barriers for the town and developers.
The committee is composed of Wayne Averil, Gary Crosby, Heather Pitcher, Al Cohen, Misty Parker, Laurie Smith, Troy Cline, Don Jones, Ed Polewarczyk, Judy Colby, Peter West and Gerry Audibert.
lgrard@timesrecord.com
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less