A town-wide traffic study recommends nearly $57 million in intersection, corridor and pedestrian/bicycle improvements throughout Scarborough.
The final version of the study, begun in 2003, was just released. Because it would be impossible to undertake every recommendation in the report in the near future, the town has started a five-year implementation plan.
The first two priorities in the plan deal with Oak Hill and Dunstan Corner. Specifically, the plan calls for a study of the long-term transportation improvements in Oak Hill and finalizing the design of long-term improvements to Dunstan Corner, while also seeking funding alternatives for short-term implementation.
Other priorities include completing the construction of the Eastern Trail, enacting town ordinances covering a wide variety of transportation issues, creating a funding plan for the implementation of the transportation plan, and developing a promotional and implementation plan for bicycle and pedestrian travel.
Finally, the plan calls for improving vehicular access along major arterial corridors, and funding and constructing long-term safety improvements at the Payne Road/Mussey Road, Route 114/Running Hill Road and Route 114/Beech Ridge Road/Saco Street intersections.
The study indicates that many of the town’s key transportation locations are now congested during peak periods and the traffic impedes other modes of transportation such as bicycles and walkers.
The study found that the most deficient locations in town were the Oak Hill, Dunstan Corner, Route 114/County Road and Route 114/Beech Ridge Road/Saco Street intersections.
Deficient unsignalized intersections that were identified include Pleasant Hill Road/Highland Avenue, Payne Road/Spring Street, Route 114/Running Hill Road and Broad Turn Road/Holmes Road.
With traffic expected to increase between 20 and 30 percent by 2025, these intersections are expected to get worse, and intersections that have not yet been identified as deficient will become so. The report concludes that delays through some parts of town, particularly on the Route 1 corridor, will become extensive by 2025.
The study recommends a number of changes to 41 intersections in town, including adding signals, restriping, constructing additional lanes, building sidewalks and realigning approaches.
The report also contains a number of bolder proposals, including the construction of four new traffic corridors intended to better divert traffic.
The Haigis Road Connector would provide access from Holmes Road to Haigis Parkway in the vicinity of Exit 42. The Mussey Road Connector would begin at Green Acres Lane and run parallel to Route 114, ending across from the future Gallery Boulevard.
The Scarborough Downs Connector Road would run between Payne Road and Route 1 through Scarborough Downs. The Route 114 Overlap would be a bypass road and provide a direct connection from Route 114 in the McLellan Road area and terminate at the current Route 114/Running Hill Road intersection.
Another sizable proposal in the study is alterations to the Oak Hill intersection. Since the intersection is already large, expanding it would produce an intersection not in character with the town.
Instead the study proposed making Route 114 one-way from Route 1 to Hannaford Drive. Black Point Road also would be one-way from Route 1 to Eastern Road. A new connector road would be constructed, connecting Commerce Drive at Route 1 to Black Point Road at Eastern Road. The new connector road also would be constructed across from Hannaford Drive on Route 1 that would provide access to Eastern Road.
The report also studies ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian access throughout town and recommends a number of improvements including better signage, a pedestrian signal system and sidewalk repair.
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