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

DOWNEASTER 2012

MAINE EASTERN R.R.

FERRY CONNECTION

Possible Car-Free routing to Acadia N.P


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


PortlandOld Orchard Beach

Saco-BiddefordWellsDover

DurhamExeter

HaverhillBoston

MT. Desert IslandBass HarborSwan’s Island North Haven/Vinal Haven

RocklandDamariscotta

WiscassetBath

BrunswickFreeport

Maine Downtown Network Communities Saco/Biddeford

BrunswickBath

DamariscottaRockland

Car Free Corridor Communities

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.


What Is CarFree Travel?

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

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.

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.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism

Maine Visitors in 2009

This 2009 survey shows younger people to be significantly less likely to

drive their personal car to Maine


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


http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/nextamcity/22658/latitude-transit-study-results-part-two




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.

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)

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

MeDOT Long Range Transportation Plan 2001






Explore Maine

the expansion of passenger rail service on private and public lines

high speed ferry service linking major coastal cities and towns

coastal and river ferries

intermodal hubs and support services

coordinated motorcoach and shuttle services

public - private partnerships

deployment of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology

development of a ‘Smart Card’ system

Project Proposals 2004-

Phase One of the plan focuses on the heavily traveled Route 1 corridor from Portland toBar 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


Major Developments since 2004

Funds have been secured and construction begun on the Downeaster extension to Brunswick to be completed by 2012

Passenger rail has precipitated the construction of Transit-Oriented-Developments in Dover NH, Saco-Biddeford, Freeport and Brunswick

The Maine Eastern Railroad continues operation of seasonal excursion services by working with local businesses to offer package deals. Connecting service to the Downeaster in Brunswick will be added in 2012 and commuter service to Augusta is under consideration for 2014

Fixed-Route Transit services have begun operations in York County, Saco-Biddeford, Brunswick and Bath.

The Island Explorer transit system at Acadia National Park has carried over 3 Million passengers since debut in 1999

Gas Prices, while still volatile, have steadily increased to $3.75 a/Gal

A record breaking 474,058 passengers rode the Downeaster in 2010

The Maine Street Station development in Brunswick has completed buildings 1 and 2 consisting of a Bowdoin College store, town council chambers, retail 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 completion in the summer.

The overwhelming majority of surveyed tourists use some form of online networking tool to plan their vacations in Maine.

CarSharing services such as ZipCar and ZimRide have become increasingly popular.

Mobile Transit Applications are becoming increasingly popular as a means of making public transportation a more flexible, convenient experience for the individual user. Increased use of WiFi on services like the Downeaster add to their appeal.


Current Downeaster

Route


Transit RegionThe transit region is analogous to U.S. Census consolidated metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan statistical areas. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - defined geographies are used by Federal statistical agencies.

Transit ShedThe transit Shed is the half (or quarter mile) buffer around all transit stations in a region, of a specific transit agency, or of a specific transit line. It is the aggregate of transit zones. Since many transit zones overlap, data cannot simply be aggregated from individual transit zones. Aggregating data to transit sheds prevents the double counting that would occur if data from individual transit zones was aggregated.

Transit ZoneA 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 an analysis of the immediate station area.

Transit Zone in Wells ME

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


http://toddata.cnt.org

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 Riverwalk 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 HUBThe 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 2009http://www.cityofbath.com/planning/file/Comp%20Plan/Adopted%209%202%2009/Appendix%20G%20-%20As%20adopted%209%202%2009.pdf


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 Service to North Haven and Vinal Haven (Yellow)

Proposed Acadia Connection (White)


Existing Maine State Ferry Service (Yellow) Proposed Acadia

Connection (White)


Existing Maine State Ferry Service

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

service between 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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