We just got back from lunch and an extremely entertaining and informative keynote by Joel Rogers, the cofounder of the Apollo Alliance and a researcher at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. I won’t attempt to do justice to Joel’s address here, but instead I’ll post his whole presentation as an audio slide show sometime early next week. We’re also hoping to get the recording of him and the day’s other keynoters on MPBN’s “Speaking in Maine” program soon.
Now the day’s afternoon workshops are underway, and I’m blogging from a discussion on smart growth and transportation solutions to Maine’s climate and energy challenges. Kate Rube, a guest from Washington’s T4America coalition, just gave her 5 minute talk, which focused a lot on the fiscal challenges facing state and federal departments of transportation. The federal government recently had to bail out the federal highway fund, which is paid for by the gas tax, in order to keep maintaining the national highway network. Kate argues that the money needs to be spent more efficiently, with more accountability; at the same time, our infrastructure needs to be kept in a state of good repair with a more reliable, more diversified source of funding than the gas tax alone.
Tony Donovan, a strong advocate for train travel in Maine and also a commercial realtor, is now speaking about the tremendous opportunities for transit-oriented development in Maine. Tony is currently marketing the proposed Maine Street Station TOD project in downtown Brunswick: several new mixed-use buildings within easy walking distance of Brunswick’s downtown and the Bowdoin College campus will soon be built around Brunswick’s new train station. Thanks to last winter’s Legislature, Maine’s Downeaster passenger rail service will be extended to Brunswick (with a stop in Freeport) on newly-rehabilitated rails for service by summer 2010.
Here’s a rendering of the proposed mixed-use station:
Speaking now is Tex Haeuser, city planner for South Portland, Maine. Tex speaks of his growing interest, over the course of the past summer’s record gas prices, in making a major investment in a transit line for his city. For Tex, the benefits extend far beyond the ability to get around town without burning expensive gasoline: a major transit line would also spur redevelopment and decrease the city’s reliance on parking lots (besides being an expensive, unproductive land use, parking lots are also a serious source of pollution in their own right: the expansive lots around the Maine Mall are the major reason why the city’s Long Creek watershed is the most polluted water body in the state).
Our last panelist, Kristina Egan, is here for her fourth Summit and is also a former director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, our counterpart organization in the Bay State. Kristina is now directing Gov. Deval Patrick’s highest-priority transportation project: the South Coast Commuter Rail project. The proposed rail project is the state’s third-largest public works project in recent history, behind the Big Dig and Boston’s new sewage treatment plant. It will cost $1.4 billion for 50 miles of new rail from South Station to the RI border. Here’s a map of some of the routes under consideration (click it to enlarge):
Opening it up to public comments: first up is Gerard Roy, Augusta’s economic development director, who grew up in Boston and notes the cultural and economic importance of neighborhoods. He’s working in Augusta to reduce traffic in a particular neighborhood, and notes that many are too concerned about safety to walk anywhere - how can a train station be successful if everyone drives there? He wonders about getting neighborhood feedback and support in transportation investments.
Tom Rumpf of the Nature Conservancy (and a GrowSmart board member) asks whether commuter rail projects like Mass. South Coast are really feasible in Maine. Are there better models for rural areas?
Henry Hayburn of Brunswick, who works on Brunswick’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, would like to see more focus on local connections - bikeability, and rail lines with more frequent stops (so a worker in Portland can commute back and forth to Brunswick via the railroad line, e.g.).
James Francomano, a planner from Presque Isle, would like to have more support from the state.
David Knapp, District 7 legislator, has worked on the Route 113/Mountain Division planning project (a rail corridor that connects Portland to North Conway, NH via South Windham, Standish, Baldwin, Brownfield, and Fryeburg). Talks about the economic development opportunities of that line (cruise ship excursions can take train rides to the White Mtns., for example), and the potential advantages to commuters. “It’s not the job of government to create jobs, it’s our job to create opportunity by putting the infrastructure in place.”
John Misener of Portland: what is the tipping point for bus service? If buses were extremely reliable and went by every five minutes, how many more people would take it?
Robert O’Brien of Portland: can transit overcome families’ “caravan culture”? How likely is it for a family with three kids in tow to get a week’s worth of groceries on a bus or a bike?
Steve Hinchman, Conservation Law Foundation: we’re still making 20th-century investments. The Skowhegan Bypass, for example: estimated at $50 million now, but costs will inflate. If over-the-road trucking is becoming less feasible as diesel costs rise, why are we still fixated on projects like this one, or the east-west highway? There’s already an east-west rail line - why aren’t we investing (at lower costs) in that existing infrastructure?
Fred Michaud, MDOT planner: is conducting an east-west transportation study, looking at both rail and highway options. Rails don’t go everywhere though: you need some trucking to distribute goods from ports and rail depots. Cites the potential of alternative fuels for motor vehicles. “Rural Maine will not benefit from transit,” he says.
Sally Oldham of Portland: cites the importance of quality design, quality places in transportation planning. Requiring urban design and landscape architecture professionals to be involved in infrastructure design and construction.
Back to the panel: Kate addresses the most recent question: their T4America platform doesn’t explicitly include design requirements, but does include recommendations for “context-sensitive solutions,” an approach to infrastructure design that actually respects and incorporates the public’s feedback and concerns (as opposed to the status quo, in which bureaucratic engineers determine 95% of road design). The new transportation bill will also include provisions for “complete streets,” streets that include facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Tony responds to the feasibility of transit in the “caravan culture”: there aren’t any families with three kids that walk to the soccer field together for a game - everyone drives. That’s something that can change, and has to change. A family can take the Downeaster from Portland to Old Orchard Beach for the day, for less than the cost of a tank of gas (and no charges for car parking).
Tex H. addressing the need for neighborhood involvement: agrees that if a neighborhood doesn’t want it - whether it’s a train line, or increased density - it won’t happen. But neighborhoods can also take the initiative to create positive change.
Bonita Pothier, who’s moderating this discussion, notes that the two Maine panelists and most participants in the discussion are from the Portland area. What about rural areas? She used to visit a sister in Van Buren, Maine - a long drive, but once she was there they were able to walk everywhere. Now Van Buren is a lot more spead out and auto-reliant. What kinds of transit can support the kind of development we have now?
Kristina Egan talks about the important of historic land use patterns: many Maine villages grew up around old train stations. Rehabbing those rail lines for passenger service can take advantage of and revitalize those villages.
Kate Rube also responds: 2/3 of all auto trips are less than 2 miles. We drive because walking, cycling aren’t safe, and transit isn’t convenient. Tex adds that where there are opportunities, as with the Mtn. Division line, “we have to do everything possible to get the land use in line, the comp. plan, the zoning (if there’s zoning)… we can’t miss these opportunities.”
Kevin Donoghue, city councilor of Portland, responds to Robert O’Brien’s earlier point. Neighborhoods need convenient retail and services nearby, close to where people live. Economic development efforts should strive to provide commercial services that will service neighborhood residents, both to reduce auto use and to improve quality of life and convenience for neighborhood residents.
A sobering thought to close: Sara Trafton, Maine Transit Assn., notes that Mainers are getting old. A growing number of us are “aging out of driving.”
