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Monday Sept 9 council meeting includes public comment & vote on Town Center intersection design

  • smithbrockje
  • Sep 8, 2024
  • 4 min read

A vote on design options for the Cape Elizabeth town center intersection:

  • Item 11 of Town Council agenda

  • Monday Sept. 9, 7 pm

  • Town Hall Council Chambers

  • Zoom Join Zoom Meeting ID: 97225026048 (US) +1 301-715-8592 Join Zoom Meeting

  • Live on CETV


Attend the meeting and let your voice be heard on prioritizing the safety of our most vulnerable road users: people walking and people on bikes.


Item #145-2024

Recommendation from Sebago Technics Relating to the Town Center Intersection 

Opportunity for Public Comment. Limited to 15 minutes; 3 minutes per person.

Time may be extended by majority vote of the councilors present.



On the recent town survey (as of Aug. 29):

  • 24% of the 364 respondents prefer the "squared up" pattern.

  • 76% prefer a roundabout of some kind

    (49% specifically prefer a "peanut" roundabout)


Traffic speed:

Nikki Conant, the Sebago Technics engineer stated at the August 21 forum that vehicles entering a roundabout in the intersection would enter at about 15 mph and exit at about 20 mph. Ms. Conant noted that roundabouts do slow people down and collisions are at slower speeds. They tend to be rear end vs. T-bone collisions


In responding to a question from a member of the public regarding what speeds would be expected from the "squared off" design, Conant answered that she did not have an answer, due to the unique make-up of this intersection. So, we don't have an estimation of speeds that drivers of motor vehicles would go in the "squared up" design. Jay Reynolds, Public Works Director, said he can ask the Police Department for any traffic speed data in current conditions.


To be clear, Bike•Walk•Roll•Cape wants to be sure - in any design chosen- that traffic will be slowed well below the current speed encouraged by the current situation. Cape Elizabeth police, not infrequently, cite drivers who are traveling over 50 mph in the various 35 mph zones on Rt. 77. But even 35 mph is too fast for our town center.


The speed of 35+ mph is incredibly dangerous for life and limb of walkers and bikers. Many people altogether avoid being near cars going that fast. Speeds of 20 mph or less very significantly decrease the likelihood that a crash will result in death or serious injury.


Bike•Walk•Roll•Cape is advocating for:

  • A Walk/Bike consultant to be brought on-board before a decision is made

  • An explicit goal prioritizing the safety of people walking and biking in our town center

  • An explicit goal of slowing traffic to about 20 mph entering the town center, through geometric design (just as all three of the roundabout designs do)

  • Looking at additional ways of slowing motor vehicle traffic that enters the town center including the following possibilities that help clarify to the unconscious mind of drivers that these are not meant to be speedways:

-Reducing travel lanes to 10' (from the 11' in the design

-Adding vertical delineators for bikers

-Raising the intersection

-Adding textural pavement at the crosswalks or in the whole intersection

-Adding street trees and other vertical landscaping

-Adding bollards to delineate pedestrian space at/near crosswalks

-Shortening crosswalks as much as possible

-Other options that a bike/ped consultant could help with


For an excellent, Cape Elizabeth-based, planning process that prioritizes the safety of people walking and biking, see the June 2024 presentation of the Fort Williams Park Committee's Powers Road Feasibility Study Status Update. This Committee brought an Active Transportation (Bike/Ped) consultant on board (James Tasse Consulting).


Why do we need to slow vehicle traffic at the intersections of Ocean House Road and Scott Dyer Road and Shore Road?

To increase safety for people walking an biking through the intersection and to high-interest destinations nearby:

  • Pond Cove Elementary School (c. 330 feet away)

  • Pond Cove Middle School (c. 690 feet away)

  • Cumberland Farms (popular destination for middle school students): (c. 65 feet away)

  • Thomas Memorial Library (c. 230 feet away)

  • Cape Elizabeth Town Hall (c. 500 feet away)

  • IGA and other shops at Pond Cove Shopping Plaza (c. 975 feet away)

  • Plus: Cape Elizabeth Community Center, Cape Elizabeth High School, Cape Swimming Pool, the Shore Road Pathway, Chapel Woods trail, and more.


There is the question of funding. The roundabout options range from $2.1 million to $2.6 million. While there is understandable skepticism about the availability of funding, there has not been a significant look into possible funding sources, such as Safe Streets for All grants. The "squared up" pattern is less expensive ($824,000) and the funds are available currently. Over $400,000 of those funds are from the town. Let's make sure we don't waste those funds on a project if it does not do what we desire it to do: slow traffic speed through our town center. Can the "squared off" design be improved to meet the goal of improved safety for all? That is yet to be seen.


Note: Bike•Walk•Roll•Cape is not supportive of looking any further into a traffic signal, for several reasons that we won't go into here. (See both Jeff Speck's and Charles Marohn's writings and videos about making downtowns safe and inviting for people waking and biking.)


 
 
 

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