Ramp work a backdrop to bigger Franklin Arterial discussion

As anyone who's driven the area knows, traffic cones line the offramps from Interstate 295 to Franklin Street. Call them a visual reminder of the state's need to keep traffic flowing in this busy interchange.

At a Wednesday meeting on the future of Franklin Arterial, officials said any improvements to this city corridor to the waterfront should help, not hinder, freeway traffic.

"What we're about to embark upon is the feasibility which will look at all the dollars and how they all might function," said Kat Beaudoin, chief of planning for Maine Department of Transportation, speaking in an interview before the meeting.

"Our concern obviously is because Franklin is connected to the interstate, it's a major exit and it's a funnel to the waterfront for many folks, so we want to work with the community to make sure that it becomes what they want, but we can't afford backups on the interstate either, and we can't really move the problem to another arterial because then we'll be here just a little bit down the road."

Franklin Arterial is a city street but has "statewide and regional function" and it qualifies for state and federal funding, so MDOT is involved in helping develop its redesign.

Three possible layouts have been developed by a Franklin Study Committee, which met last year and identified the trio of designs that might help improve the arterial. The design alternatives include a multi-way boulevard with four lanes in the center and two side access lanes providing parking and bicycle use; an urban street with bicycle lanes and parallel parking; and an urban parkway with landscaped median, limited parking and parallel bicycle path.

Last night's meeting, held at East End School Community Center, drew about 30 people for a presentation and discussion, first about the alternative designs for Franklin Street and then later about improvements to Interstate 295 Exit 7 off-ramps and the state's ongoing "pedestrian safety evaluation process" to provide a bicycle/pedestrian connection to the Back Cove Trail from Marginal Way.

Brad Foley, highway program manager for Maine Department of Transportation, said intermittent closure of Franklin Street offramps was due to the state's current work of clearing, grubbing and building up a base for new lanes.

"We're adding lanes on the two exit ramps, so on the southbound offramp and the northbound offramp we will build additional lanes for when traffic gets backed up," he explained in an interview.

A continuous lane on the interstate will ease merging of traffic in the Franklin Street area, he added.

"There will be a signal at the bottom of the northbound offramp so that will help meter traffic going through there," he said.

The city has started building crosswalks at Franklin Street and Marginal Way, Portland Planning Division Director Alex Jaegerman said in an interview, with plans for a trail crossing. "The question is connecting to the Back Cove Trail, and is that going to be safe?" he said.

"I think we'd like to do some sidewalk improvements just to create a good network of sidewalks along the length of the street. ... I'm not sure there's that kind of thing planned, I think the idea is to get the big picture and make investments that are going to contribute to that big picture. The first priority would probably be that intersection area down near the highway, Marginal and Fox and Somerset."

As for the long-term picture, "it will probably take five or 10 years to get the whole thing done, but we're on the right path," Jaegerman said.

For more detailed information and to view the results of the Franklin Study Committee’s work, visit the city’s website at www.portlandmaine.gov/franklinstreetarterial.htm.

Portland Planning Division Director Alex Jaegerman surveys renderings of Franklin Arterial prior to a meeting Wednesday on the long-term redesign of this busy connection from Interstate 295 to the waterfront. The meeting was about a feasibility study on redeveloping Franklin Arterial, based on three concepts drafted by a committee. "The idea behind this study is to figure out what the hurdles are and overcome them," Jaegerman said. "I think we have these three really interesting alternatives, and the question is how can we integrate the best ideas from those alternatives, my thought is it probably will be some combination of things." (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)