Biddeford city councilors who opposed the closing of Bradbury Street Extension to through traffic have a good point. Blocking this shortcut only addresses a symptom of an underlying traffic problem.
Getting to downtown Biddeford can be a test of patience. Traveling via Elm Street ”“ Route 1 ”“ is a often frustrating slog. The shortcut through Bradbury Street Extension is a response to a bottleneck at the intersection at Elm and South streets.
This poorly aligned and narrow corner poses a problem for left-turning motorists from all directions. It badly needs redesign and reconstruction, similar to the downtown realignment of Pool and Alfred. Unfortunately, such a complicated and expensive undertaking doesn’t appear likely. Instead, city officials are taking very small steps to try and improve the situation.
They upgraded and adjusted the traffic signals to make some left turns easier, for instance. Now, the closing of Bradbury Street Extension has eliminated a hazardous shortcut.
The shortcut was used by those heading downtown on Elm Street with the intention of turning left onto South Street. Turning onto Mason and then Bradbury St. Extension, they reached South Street at the bottom of a steep hill, where visibility was poor. The Biddeford Police Department considered making Bradbury Extension a one-way street, but residents would then have had to leave home heading uphill, a problematic task in slippery conditions.
One downside of this decision may be similar requests from other neighborhoods burdened with traffic avoiding Elm Street. May Street and Bradbury Street, for instance, are residential roads that have become alternative routes through this part of the city.
Meanwhile, congestion on Elm Street is likely to get worse. The lack of easy access to Main Street is a long-standing problem with no solution in sight. Restaurants, merchants, City Theater and the redevelopers of downtown mills would face much better prospects if downtown road access could be improved.
While we agree that short cuts can create safety hazards, the best approach to such problems might be to commission a traffic study to study the current downtown traffic layout, and potential improvements. Fixing Elm Street might not turn out to be a priority, but providing a better route into and out of downtown Biddeford could improve the local economy.
Main Street’s economic revitalization requires better road access. From many directions, it’s just not easy to get there.
— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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