CarFree Coast of Maine

The CarFree Coast of
Maine
How CarFree Tourism can relieve traffic congestion, insulate
against rising energy prices and encourage sustainable
investment in historic downtowns from Kittery to Bar Harbor.

Presented by

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Possible Car-Free routing to Acadia N.P

DOWNEASTER 2012

MAINE EASTERN R.R.

FERRY CONNECTION


Current Downeaster Route

Downeaster Extension 2012

Current Maine Eastern Route

Current Maine State Ferry Routes
(VinalHaven, North Haven, Swan’s Island)
Proposed Car-Free Link


The Maine Coast
CarFree Corridor
The Maine Coast CarFree Corridor would
include communities along the current
Downeaster route, but would also add Freeport,
Brunswick, midcoast communities along the
Rockland Branch as well island communities
around Acadia.

Car Free Corridor Communities
Portland MT. Desert Island
Old Orchard Beach Bass HarborSwan’s Island Maine Downtown Network
Saco-Biddeford North Haven/Vinal Haven Communities
Wells Rockland
Dover Damariscotta Saco/Biddeford
Durham Wiscasset Brunswick
Exeter Bath Bath
Haverhill Brunswick Damariscotta
Boston Freeport Rockland


What Is CarFree Travel?
In most cases Car-Free Travel simply means
getting from place to place without a car.
However, recent concern over fossil fuel
consumption has led some Sustainable Tourism
advocates to include CarFree travel alternatives
as key components of sustainability.
The car-free movement is a broad, informal, emergent network of individuals
and organizations including social activists, urban planners and others brought
together by a shared belief that cars are too dominant in most modern cities.
The goal of the movement is to create places where car use is greatly reduced
or eliminated, to convert road and parking space to other public uses and to
rebuild compact urban environments where most destinations are within easy
reach by public transport, walking, or cycling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car-free_movement

Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the
environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for
local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development
brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the
tourists themselves. Sustainable tourism is not the same as ecotourism.


This 2009 sur vey shows younger
people to be significantly less likely to
drive their personal car to Maine
Maine Visitors in 2009


Just as younger people are starting to drive less, 86%
of travelers to Maine are planning their trips online


How Can New Media
Effect Transportation
Preference?
According to a study called “Tech for Transit: Designing a Future System”

Web and mobile information tools can confer a wide range
of benefits, typically reserved for car ownership, on
alternative transit options like public transit, walking,
biking, and car-sharing. They achieve this by offering a
similar sense of choice, convenience and personalization,
and by providing new opportunities for people to reach
their personal goals—whether those relate to being more
social, being better to the environment, discovering local
hang-outs and events, and so on.
http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/nextamcity/22658/latitude-transit-
study-results-part-two


The concept of an integrated, multimodal alternative to auto-based tourism in
Maine goes back as far as 1996 when the Maine Department of Transportation
published the “Strategic Passenger Transportation Plan” (Map at Left). The plan
eventually formed the basis of the “Explore Maine” Program (quoted below)

Explore Maine focuses on the development of
alternative modes of transportation with a
particular analysis which supports tourism
through the promotion of transportation choices
that will reduce dependency on private
automobiles. This will benefit Maine in numerous
ways.Reducing vehicle miles traveled is the most
effective way to limit air polluting auto
emissions. Increased access to various modes can
affect land use patterns by encouraging
residential and commercial development in core
communities where focused infrastructure
investments can take place. The plan will create
a transportation network that will attract new
visitors to Maine. Increased tourism will benefit
Maine’s economy.
MeDOT Long Range Transportation Plan 2001

Tourism is Maine’s fastest growing economic sector. 44
Million visitors came to Maine in 2000, generating $5.4
billion in sales of which 14% or $73 million, was for
transportation. Tourism also provided $330 million in
tax revenues, 111,000 jobs with a $2.5 billion payroll
and over $8.5 billion in overall statewide economic
impact. Unfortunately, our roads and highways cannot
adequately meet the increasing seasonal demands.
Growing tourism is not the only cause of highway
congestion. Residents are also driving more. Miles
traveled in Maine grew by 95% from 1980 to 2000,
compared to an 11% increase in population. The result
is seasonal traffic congestion on our highways. We can
no longer build our way out of congestion, the social,
economic and environmental costs are too high, we must
look for new ways to meet the mobility needs of Maine’s
residents and visitors.

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/passenger-transportation-planning/
exploremaine.php


Explore Maine
Phase One of the plan focuses on the heavily traveled Route 1 corridor from Portland to
Bar Harbor. Future expansion will extend the system Downeast and inland, as demand grows.
The plan also calls for an entrepreneurial style for providing transportation, as the system is to
be self-supporting. Profitable system elements will support those elements that require subsidies,
such as local bus services.- MeDOT Long Term Transportation Improvement Plan 2004-2025

Project Proposals 2004-
the expansion of passenger rail ser vice on private and public lines

high speed ferry service linking major coastal cities and towns

coastal and river ferries

intermodal hubs and support ser vices

coordinated motorcoach and shuttle ser vices

public - private partnerships

deployment of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology

development of a ‘Smart Card’ system


Major Developments since 2004
Funds have been secured and construction begun on the A record breaking 474,058 passengers rode the
Downeaster extension to Brunswick to be completed by Downeaster in 2010
2012

The Maine Street Station development in Brunswick
Passenger rail has precipitated the construction of has completed buildings 1 and 2 consisting of a
Transit-Oriented-Developments in Dover NH, Saco- Bowdoin College store, town council chambers, retail
Biddeford, Freeport and Brunswick stores, restaurants a visitors center and the Maine
Eastern Railroad station. Buildings 3 and 4 consisting
of a 57-room Inn and a walk-in clinic are scheduled for
The Maine Eastern Railroad continues operation of completion in the summer.
seasonal excursion services by working with local
businesses to offer package deals. Connecting service
to the Downeaster in Brunswick will be added in 2012 The over whelming majority of sur veyed tourists use
and commuter service to Augusta is under consideration some form of online net working tool to plan their
for 2014 vacations in Maine.

Fixed-Route Transit ser vices have begun operations in CarSharing ser vices such as ZipCar and ZimRide have
York County, Saco-Biddeford, Brunswick and Bath. become increasingly popular.

The Island Explorer transit system at Acadia National Mobile Transit Applications are becoming increasingly
Park has carried over 3 Million passengers since debut popular as a means of making public transportation a
in 1999 more flexible, convenient experience for the individual
user. Increased use of WiFi on ser vices like the
Downeaster add to their appeal.
Gas Prices, while still volatile, have steadily increased
to $3.75 a/Gal


Current
Downeaster
Route


Transit Shed Transit Region
The transit Shed is the half (or quarter mile) buffer around all transit stations in a region, of a specific transit The transit region is analogous to U.S. Census consolidated metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan
agency, or of a specific transit line. It is the aggregate of transit zones. Since many transit zones overlap, data statistical areas. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - defined geographies are used by Federa
cannot simply be aggregated from individual transit zones. Aggregating data to transit sheds prevents the double statistical agencies.
counting that would occur if data from individual transit zones was aggregated.

Transit Zone Transit Zone in Wells
A transit zone is the half mile buffer around each transit station. One half mile (radius) is considered a
walkable distance. The TOD Database also offers the option to choose a one quarter mile buffer for ME
an analysis of the immediate station area.

Images, Text- http://toddata.cnt.org/


By the mid-20th Century most large towns in Maine were connected by rail.
With few exceptions most towns had downtown railroad stations, indeed
many towns were built around the rail stations. When passenger rail returned
with the Downeaster most towns had already demolished their station
buildings. Municipalities like Wells and Portland had to find entirely new
locations to build their station platforms. Saco-Biddeford constructed their
station within walking distance of Downtown Biddeford. The result has been a
revival of economic growth along Main Street, while the areas around the
Portland and Wells Transportation Centers have seen no development.


Public Transit
Options in the
Saco-Biddeford
region and
renderings of
Transit-Oriented
Development
around River walk
Pedestrian Path


Current
Portland
Transportation
Center


Location of Proposed Commercial Street Location for Downtown
Rail Terminal

Portland TOD options. Renderings above
show proposed relocations for a passenger
rail station on Commercial Street.
Rendering at left illustrates proposal for a
TOD at the current station location.


Area Accesible through
existing local transit
options


Downeaster
Expansion to
Brunswick 2012


Freeport Station
Platform Location
and Transit Zone


Brunswick Maine Street Station SW View


Areas Accessible
by existing local
transit


Maine Eastern
Railroad Route to
Rockland

In addition to providing connecting service to the
Downeaster in Brunswick, the Maine Eastern
Railroad is also looking into the possibility of offering
commuter service to Augusta and Bath Iron Works.


Bath Transit Zone


BATH, A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION HUB
The City of Bath’s Kennebec River location and transportation assets
make it uniquely positioned to become a multimodal passenger
transportation hub in the Midcoast Region. It has great potential for
high-quality highway, rail (both passenger and freight), bus (both
intercity and local), bicycle and pedestrian, and passenger-ferry
transportation services. This critical mass of services can greatly
enhance transportation access in the region and also significantly
positions Bath to become more of a tourist and visitor destination.

According to the MaineDOT’s “Route One Corridor Feasibility Study,” two
other types of passenger rail service are being considered for the
Rockland Branch through Bath: (1) connecting the planned extension of
Amtrak service to Brunswick, to Rockland via Bath; and (2) commuter rail
service to BIW. The “Rail Station with Park and Ride Lot: Site
Evaluation Study” for the MaineDOT about Park and Ride Lots that may be
needed to complement commuter rail service to BIW estimated a reasonable
potential for a 20 percent market share of the 600 day-shift workers
originating east of the Kennebec River for this service (Stafford
Business Advisors, 2002). The 20 percent share would translate to 120
BIW workers potentially using this rail service.
Appendix G Page 12The “Explore Maine” initiative of the MaineDOT (i.e.,
the implementation program of the 1997 “Strategic PassenTheger
Transportation Plan”)envisions a statewide passenger rail system (and
other complementary transportation networks such as passenger ferry,
intercity bus, and shared-use paths) implemented during a twenty-year-
plus time frame. Highest priority service is scheduled to commence in
areas that would positively impact the Route 1 corridor through the
Midcoast Region.

-City of Bath Transportation Inventory 2009
http://www.cityofbath.com/planning/file/Comp%20Plan/Adopted%209%202%2009/Appendix%20G%20-%20As%20adopted
%209%202%2009.pdf


Wiscasset Transit Zone


Rockland Transit Zone,
Including Rail Station and
Ferry Terminal


THE MARINE HIGHWAY According to the “Route One Corridor Feasibility Study,” passenger
ferry service is a major component of the MaineDOT’s “Explore Maine” initiative. The program
envisions a multi-tiered network of intercoastal ferry service with some supporting
intracoastal service (i.e., upriver connections on the Kennebec River to Augusta and the
Penobscot River to Bangor). Portland, Rockland, and Bar Harbor would anchor the network and be
the primary destinations for travelers. Other planned intercoastal hubs include Bath, Boothbay
Harbor, Belfast, Bass Harbor, and Eastport.
The “Maine Strategic Passenger Plan” (Wilbur Smith Associates, July 1997) identified “new
seasonal tourists and visitors” as the most likely market for ferry services. The Plan
suggests that 25 to 33 percent of the potential 1490,000 new annual visitors in this group
could be attracted to ferry service. It also suggests that a smaller percentage (i.e., 5 to 10
percent) of the larger pool of “current seasonal residents and visitors” could be attracted to
the service. One of the main objectives of these services is to reduce tourist traffic along
the Route 1–Midcoast Maine corridor. The services would provide seamless transfers from other
modes in the corridor, such as intercity bus and passenger rail.


Proposed Acadia Connection
Route (White)
Existing Maine State Ferry
Service (Yellow)


Existing Maine State Ferry Ser vice to North Haven
and Vinal Haven (Yellow)
Proposed Acadia Connection (White)


Service (Yellow)
Proposed Acadia
Connection (White)


Ser vice
Bass Harbor-Swan’s Island
(Yellow)
Proposed Acadia Connection
(White)

Many Maine Island Communities
are served by Water Taxi’s, which
operate on-demand. Connecting
ser vice bet ween Acadia and
Rockland could take this form until
demand warrants fixed route
services


The Island
Explorer
The Island Explorer buses are sponsored by Acadia
National Park and L.L. Bean and are free of charge to
all passengers. They run on natural gas and are part
of the Acadia's efforts to reduce carbon emissions
and improve the air quality in the Park and on Mt.
Desert Island. The buses travel all over the National
Park, including its campgrounds, Bar Harbor and
Mount Desert Island itself, including most hotels and
attractions. All bus lines leave from downtown Bar
Harbor's Village Green every 30 minutes during the
day and every 15 minutes after 3 pm.

The propane-powered buses carried 412,000 people in
2010, an increase of approximately 45,000 riders from the
year before.
The system’s average daily ridership in 2010 was 4,829,
with a peak day of 8,010 on Aug. 10, Bobinchock said. In
2009 the daily average was 4,238 and a peak on Aug. 11
of 6,639. The bus system is estimated to have carried more
than 3 million passengers on and around Mount Desert
Island since it debuted in 1999.


Extensive Map of Island Explorer System with Digital Information Display at Ferry Terminal www.exploreacadia.com


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