FRONT , FARMINGTON WALKABLE AUDIT REPORT

“Walkable communities encourage activity, expand transportation options, and have safe and inviting that serve people with different ranges of mobility.”

Federal Highway Administration

May 2011

Prepared for the Town of Farmington by:

Introduction The Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG), in cooperation with Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), conducted a Walkable Community Audit Workshop of Front Street in downtown Farmington on May 23, 2011. Front Street, which begins at the Intervale (Route 4) and ends at Lower Broadway, is parallel to, and west of, Main Street.

Front Street is adjacent to the University of Maine-Farmington (UMF) athletic fields and is used by , bicyclists and motorists. Numerous businesses are located on Front Street, as is a UMF student parking lot. Along with UMF, many of the Front Street businesses generate pedestrian traffic. Front Street is used by some motorists as a bypass to Main Street. Sidewalks are limited to short segments, in spite of the prevalence of pedestrians along its entire length.

Pedestrian-motor vehicle conflicts exist on Front Street because several Front Street businesses are dependent on motor vehicle traffic, not pedestrian traffic. Loading docks close to the road present obstacles and challenges to defining where pedestrians and bicyclists should be in relation to vehicles loading and unloading at these businesses.

The Federal Highway Administration defines a walkable community as a community “where it is easy and safe to walk to goods and services (i.e., grocery stores, post offices, health clinics, etc.). Walkable communities encourage pedestrian activity, expand transportation options, and have safe and inviting streets that serve people with different ranges of mobility.”

Overall, downtown Farmington meets the definition of a “walkable community”. Front Street has acquired a different character than that of other downtown streets and does not share the same appeal, comfort and sense of safety for pedestrians.

A vibrant downtown typically has a variety of land uses to attract people with varied interests and needs. Downtown Farmington has a good variety of services to offer residents and visitors, including banks, churches, a grocery store, hardware store, law office, library, post office, restaurants, etc. Apartments can be found in the upper stories of downtown buildings.

Handicap accessibility needs to be incorporated into plans for new sidewalks on Front Street in order to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as Amended, 42 U.S.C.A. § 12101 et seq.

Front Street has not benefitted from investment in a sidewalk network that can connect it to the rest of downtown. Front Street has the potential to be as inviting and safe for pedestrians and bicyclists as is Main Street and other downtown streets. This report helps summarize the physical conditions, needs and opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle facilities on Front Street in downtown Farmington. The town has been, and continues to be, active in creating a safe and visible sidewalk and crosswalk network for pedestrians The town is currently focusing its efforts on making physical

1 improvements to Front Street and on attracting mixed uses and infill development here. The town was recently awarded a $150,000 Community Enterprise Grant for physical improvements (curbing, sidewalks and lighting) on Front Street at Meetinghouse Park. Other features such as good signage, bicycle racks, benches, trash receptacles, etc. will make Front Street more inviting and useable to the public.

The information contained in this report will provide the Town of Farmington and its residents with priority projects towards making Front Street more pedestrian-friendly.

Methodology Several hours of pre-audit work was conducted prior to holding the Walkable Community Audit Workshop. Work began with communication between AVCOG staff and town officials to determine the most appropriate area of the community to conduct an audit. Once the audit area was selected staff visited the town to walk the focus area to gain familiarity. The pre-audit walk involved taking pictures in downtown Farmington which offered good and bad examples of a pedestrian-friendly environment. The pictures were then downloaded to be used in a PowerPoint educational presentation given at the Walkable Community Audit Workshop. The PowerPoint educational presentation was created to educate workshop attendees on pedestrian design, safety, education, and enforcement while using pre-audit pictures in the presentation for examples.

The Farmington Town Manager distributed fliers throughout the community announcing the upcoming Walkable Community Audit Workshop. The workshop was sponsored by MaineDOT and administered by AVCOG staff. The workshop was scheduled for four hours and included the PowerPoint educational presentation, a tour of Front Street, and a debriefing session that allowed participants to share what they observed during the walk.

This report includes a summary of comments for improvements to Front Street, the list of workshop attendees (Appendix A), the promotional flier (Appendix B), an aerial map of Front Street (Appendix C), a map of the Downtown Farmington Route (Appendix D), and newspaper articles about the workshop (Appendix E).

This report was funded in part through grant[s] from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. The views and opinions of the authors [or agency] expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U. S. Department of Transportation.

2 Summary of Comments: Crosswalks and Sidewalks Issue Priority/Timeframe Implementation Rehabilitate all sidewalks to 1 On‐going Town Manager/Public Works meet ADA standards Move crosswalk in front of Front 2 Street Exchange to south of the Short‐term Public Works Narrow Gauge intersection Add crosswalks southerly of the 3 Short‐term Public Works Narrow Gauge intersection Maintain the sidewalk on the easterly side of Front Street, 4 from Lower Broadway to the Long‐term Public Works southern end of Franklin Savings Bank Add sidewalk to the westerly side of Front Street, starting Town Manager, Board of 5 across from Franklin Savings Long‐term Selectmen Bank to across from the Depot Street intersection Add sidewalk on the easterly Town Manager, Board of 6 side of Front Street, from Depot Long‐term Selectmen Street to Route 4 Move crosswalk in front of Franklin Savings Bank to just 7 Short‐term Public Works south of Franklin Savings Bank at end of sidewalk Add a crosswalk for safe crossing from the new sidewalk 8 on the westerly side of Front Long‐term Public Works Street to the new sidewalk at the Depot Street intersection

Add and sidewalk on Main Street in front of Gifford's Ice Cream and Cumberland Farms (from Depot Street to Town existing sidewalk) to clearly 9 Medium‐term Manager/MaineDOT/Farmington define business entrance Downtown Association locations, increase pedestrian safety on sidewalk, and reduce crossing distance across Route 4 to Hippach Field.

3 Add a crosswalk across Route 4 10 Short‐term Town Manager/MaineDOT to Hippach Field Add traffic light with pedestrian 11 crossing phase at Route 4 Short‐term Town Manager/MaineDOT crosswalk to Hippach Field Trim hedges on Lower Broadway that interfere with 12 Short‐term Public Works/Property Owner pedestrian movements on sidewalk

Paint crosswalks in Spring to 13 maintain visibility or use durable Short‐term Public Works material (e.g., thermal plastic)

Add curbed ramps and 14 Short‐term Public Works truncated domes at all crossings

Improve lighting on Front Town Manager, Farmington 15 Street, particularly the southern Medium‐term Downtown Association end from Notify MD to Route 4 Bicycling Facilities Add inverted‐U style bike racks 1 Short‐term Town Manager to Hippach Field Add inverted‐U style bike racks to Prescott Field, laundromat, Town Manager, Farmington 2 natural food store, cinema and Short‐term Downtown Association, other business locations on business/property owners Front Street Economic Development Add Farmers Market signs on Town Manager, Farmington 1 Short‐term Main Street and Broadway Downtown Association Establish a rest area on town‐ owned land on Front Street Town Manager/Board of 2 northerly of the Notify MD Long‐term Selectmen parcel with amenities such as benches and trash receptacles.

Construct a public parking lot on town‐owned land on Front Street across from Notify MD property (at the site of the Town Manager/Board of 3 Long‐term former snow dump) which could Selectmen serve as special event parking and overflow parking for Hippach Field.

4 On-Road Facilities

Add handicap parking space Front Street in front of the Front 1 Street Exchange building, add Short‐term Public Works/Property Owner appropriate paint and signage indicating handicap parking

Need to eliminate wide, expansive driveway openings onto Front Street and limit the 2 number of curb openings on Short‐term Town Manager/Property Owners each parcel to minimize conflicts between motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians

Different layers of pavement at the edge of Front Street makes it dangerous for bicyclists. 3 Medium‐term Town Manager/Public Works Future pavement overlays should extend to the edge of the previous layer of pavement.

Redesign the Front Street/Route 4 intersection to better define travel way for vehicles entering 4 Route 4 from Front Street. Add Medium‐term Town Manager bulb‐out on Front Street at the intersection, move crosswalk closer to Gifford's Ice Cream

Cut brush and tree branches 5 On‐going Public Works around signs throughout town Off-Road Facilities Formalize dirt foot paths to Front Street from UMF's Scott Hall to improve safety of 1 students' walking route by Medium‐term University of Maine‐Farmington paving or adding stairs. This will also minimize erosion problems at these locations.

5 Appendix A: Walking Audit Attendance Sheet

6 Appendix B: Walking Audit Flier

7 Appendix C: Map of Front Street

8 Appendix D: Map of Downtown Farmington Walking Tour Route (from town’s website):

9 Appendix E: News Articles

Front Street walking workshop Monday

By Ann Bryant, Staff Writer May 19, 2011

FARMINGTON — With a focus on Front Street, a Walking Workshop to discuss pedestrian and bike activities is planned from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, May 23, in The Company Restaurant building.

Business owners, municipal officials and anyone interested in a "" audit are invited to join Joan Walton, transportation planner, from Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments for a presentation followed by a walking tour of Front Street on Monday.

The audit is similar to others completed in Jay-Livermore Falls and in Wilton last year, Town Manager Richard Davis said. Walton contacted Davis to see if there was interest for one in Farmington and with a recent focus on development in the Front Street area it was chosen for the audit, he said.

Walton presents the walking audit in an effort to get communities and villages to look at the pedestrian network and how it supports business or what the community can do in support of economic development on Front Street, she said.

Following a presentation, Walton will take participants on a walk down Front Street then return to the upper level of The Company building to write and discuss what they saw and what they think is needed along the busy street running parallel to Main Street.

Farmington is already a walkable community but there are things that are missing and things that can be improved, she said. With a University of Maine at Farmington parking lot and athletic fields off Front Street, university students provide a good example of where people want to walk, she said.

The Farmington Downtown Association has looked at parts of it, Davis said. Their work resulted in the town's application for a Community Development Block Grant for sidewalk work on Pleasant and Front streets. Work will begin in back of Meetinghouse Park this summer but some engineering work is needed on Front Street so the work there will probably wait until next year, Davis said.

With the rising costs of gasoline, Davis said he thinks the town should "do everything we can to encourage safe walking and biking."

10 The Maine Department of Transportation provides funding for AVCOG to hold these walking audits, Walton said.

The walk will take place rain or shine and all are welcome.

Daily Bulldog A Front Street fix discussed

Posted by Bobbie Hanstein • May 23, 2011

Joan Walton, a transportation planner with Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, points to an area where grass and trees and a sidewalk to the left, could be installed at the Main and Front street intersection to help with traffic safety and beautify the entrance to downtown.

FARMINGTON - Ideas for making Front Street a more pedestrian-friendly street flowed when a small group met with a transportation planner today.

Front Street, running one block west and parallel to Main Street, has seen a building boom of sorts in the last two decades or so. A multi-cineplex theater, professional offices, small specialty stores, a student parking lot and a new restaurant now line Front Street where a lone train station once stood. University of Maine at Farmington's Prescott athletic fields, accessed by Front Street, bring with it traffic at game times.

With all this growth, comes the need to look at Front Street as a place of increased traffic and safety concern.

At a community meeting sponsored by the Maine Department of Transportation, traffic planner Joan Walton, of Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, presented examples from other towns of good and bad ideas for all kinds of traffic. Then, walking

11 along Front Street, the group which included town officials, business owners and residents, had plenty of ideas for improvement.

Pointed out were sidewalks that start and suddenly end in several sections along the busy road which leave pedestrians with the dilemma of either crossing the road or taking their chances by staying on the same side. Lighting is poor along stretches of the road that only exacerbate the pedestrian safety issue at night.

Calling them "tough spots," Walton said there is no definition to where the parking lot entrance is located.

Calling them "tough spots," Walton pointed to the wide, expansive driveways to access businesses that mean traffic can come and go at several points and directions. "Wide driveways need to be better defined so access is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists," she said.

Worn foot paths running down an embankment from behind UMF's Scott Hall show alternative accesses used routinely by students to get to Front Street. "Students will find the shortest route," she said, adding, "build the buildings, wait a year, then put in the sidewalks," as a way to determine where walkers will walk. Safety is a concern for these impromptu paths.

A worn foot path runs from Scott Hall to Front Street.

12 Other problem areas were seen in the different layers of paving pushing up from the shoulder's sand worn away, making it dangerous for bicyclists. The need for a hedge extending into the sidewalk to be pruned on lower Broadway and Front Street and the need for more bike racks of the inverted U variety, were recommended. Crosswalk markings, currently invisible after a winter of plow scraping, leave motorists and pedestrians alike left with wondering where a street crossing should take place.

In general, Walton said "there's a connectivity problem here."

New improvements to Front Street are coming soon from local businesses taking the initiative. John Moore, owner of the Narrow Gauge Cinemas, plans to narrow the entrance to his movie theater's parking lot next to The Company restaurant and defining it further by adding fencing, sidewalk and landscaping. Franklin Savings Bank is constructing parking areas across from Moore's new entrance that will develop the two empty lots. A two-tiered staircase, also proposed by Franklin Savings Bank, to connect Front Street with Main Street above is in the works. Also in the planning stage, a five- unit condominium development is expected to provide a set back on Front Street that may help define a walk area for pedestrians.

The walking tour today produced the recommendations to construct a contiguous sidewalk along Front Street. Better street lighting, and a town-owned parcel north of the Divine Inspirations store and McDonald's could become a rest area with parking for overflow at nearby Hippach Field.

At the busy intersection of Front and Main streets at Hippach Field, pedestrian-friendly ideas included sidewalks on both sides of Main Street and an esplanade, or a long, green area with trees between the proposed sidewalk in front of Gifford's Ice Cream shop and Cumberland Farms would narrow and slow traffic and provide a beautified welcome to downtown. Curbing and the straightening of Front Street at the intersection with Main would also provide a defined pedestrian crosswalk across the road to Hippach Field in which 20,000 vehicles a day pass, said Town Manager Richard Davis.

The entrance to the Front Street parking lot will be narrowed, along with a sidewalk and fencing installed where the barriers are, at left, to define the parking area by the Narrow Gauge Cinema owner John Moore.

13 Also added to the wish list were more bike racks, a handicap parking space on the north side of The Company building and shrub trimming to keep sidewalks clear. The group drew their ideas on a map and will then be prioritized by town officials on a short-term, mid-term or long-term basis, all within a 10 year-timeline. "It's a tool to make physical improvements," Walton said of the plan. "All these things make a town look nicer, feel more comfortable and improve economic development," she added.

Funding, Davis said, can be sought through Community Development Block Grants that traditionally has been good to Farmington. A $150,000 CDBG will be implemented this summer to build curbing and sidewalks and to install better lighting on Front Street at Meetinghouse Park.

4 Responses Rodney May 24, 2011 4:38 pm I would suggest a center island from the front street intersection toward Abbott Hill. Maybe that would slow down traffic because the cars in the turn lane could no longer try to cut-off the cars in the right lane. The arrows on the road are ineffective.

Kippy May 25, 2011 6:28 pm I agree that the arrows are less than effective. If you're coming from, say, Rite Aid, and you want to go to either Giffords or Cumberland Farms, if you follow what the arrows say, you have to stay (or get) in the right-hand lane, and then there's no turning lane in front of either of these businesses. Then, of course, you have to stop almost immediately in order to wait for a hole in the oncoming traffic so that you can turn. This makes the cars behind you who are expecting to go up over the hill stop quickly before passing you on the right (if they can).

Tom Knight May 26, 4:39 am Really smart of us to let Rite Aid move there. Probably we were being business friendly. I find everything at rite Aid in either Hannaford's or Walmart and they are a heck of a lot more convenient and safe.

Ed Zilinsky May 26, 2011, 6:18 am I hope some consideration will be paid to the snowmobilers and 4-wheelers who bring a lot of business to the Front Street merchants. Some day maybe Farmington will be more 4-wheeler friendly like other niehboring towns have done.

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Looking at Front Street on foot

By Ann Bryant, Staff Writer May 24, 2011

FARMINGTON — A developing area of town, Front Street, was the focus of Monday's "walkability" workshop from which suggestions for improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists were raised.

"There needs to be a balance for all users. Roads are not just for cars and trucks but also pedestrians and bikers," Joan Walton, transportation planner from the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, said.

With funding from the Maine Department of Transportation, Walton has held several similar audits or planning walks in other towns. Ideas generated during the walk will be included in her report along with a strategy and timeline for potential implementation that is sent back to the town.

It's then up to the town, based on their will and costs, to implement, she said. Farmington is already "looking good," she said.

Most communities use these sessions to look at ways to improve their Main Streets. Farmington has pretty well preserved the downtown area, lending the opportunity to look at a side street running parallel to Main, she said.

The need for sidewalks and crosswalks and clarification of business entrances/exits were discussed as a few residents and town officials braved cloudy skies and strolled from The Company building down to the intersection with the Intervale.

Bobbie Hanstein, Conservation Commission chairman, asked about clarification of crosswalks from Hippach Field across the busy state road, Route 4, called the Intervale. The commission met with a representative from the Maine Department of Transportation last fall over concerns about people crossing from ball games to Gifford's, McDonald's and to parked vehicles along the street, she said.

The discussion turned to three spaces, , with potential plants or trees in front of Gifford's and Cumberland Farms that would extend from a sidewalk into the street area, where 20,000 vehicles pass each day, to draw attention to a crosswalk and better define entrances to businesses. The spaces would provide "traffic calming" or a way to slow traffic and alert drivers to potential pedestrians.

15 Other suggestions for improving Front Street include better lighting, especially from Notify MD to Route 4. Also suggested were a rest stop with benches near Notify MD and across the street, where the town owns 12 acres (formerly used for placing removed snow), the creation of extra parking spaces.

The town may only have a right of way into the town-owned space, Davis said.

There should be a bike rack for every business, Walton said.

During her presentation prior to the walk, Walton also pointed out sides of the road where overlays of paving didn't extend as far as before. The difference in heights of pavement is dangerous for bikers, she said.

Another concern is a green hedge growing partially over a sidewalk on the curved corner as Front Street intersects with Broadway. Walton encouraged the town to initiate talks with the landowner about trimming the hedge growth.

The Farmington Downtown Association has already worked on providing better sidewalks and lowering the height of the sidewalk around the corner at Broadway. There is some engineering work that needs to be done around a rock retaining wall, so the work is expected to begin next year, Davis said.

Funding from Community Development Block Grants will be used for the sidewalk work on Front Street and work on Pleasant Street in back of Meetinghouse Park. The Pleasant Street work begins this summer.

A parking area just north of McDonald's on Front Street could encourage people to park and walk to downtown or to Hippach Field, Donna Keaten suggested.

While ideas expressed were nice, the stairway connecting Main and Front streets previously proposed by Franklin Savings Bank would do more for the street than any of the other ideas, Cheryl Van Messel said.

Joan Walton, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments Transportation planner, second from left, walks Front Street Monday with residents and town officials looking at Improvements For pedestrians and bikers. Stopping at the end of the sidewalk from left are Farmington police Deputy Chief Shane Cote, Walton, Town Manager Richard Davis, Michael Field and Jon Bubier. Donna Keaten and Charles Bross are in back.

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Joan Walton, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments' Transportation planner, indicates where spaces, esplanades, on the Intervale could indicate crosswalks to Hippach Field while adding an attractive entrance to downtown Monday during a Front Street Walk.

Jon Bubier asks a question during a Front Street walk held Monday in Farmington with Joan Walton, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments' transportation planner. From left are Michael Field, Walton, Bubier, Farmington Police Deputy Chief Shane Cote and Richard Davis, Farmington town manager.

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