Appendix H Facility Specific Impacts of the Transportation Theme Packages Appendix H Facility specific impacts of the Transportation Theme Packages Appendix H discusses the facility specific impacts of the transportation theme packages. The appendix is divided into three parts. Part 1 (page H-2) lists the analyzed transportation options for each grouping within each theme. Part 2 (Page H-4) lists the facility specific impacts of each of the options. Part 3 (page H-15) describes the key findings of these analyses. Part 1 – Analyzed Transportation Options for Each Theme and Grouping Interstate Theme Interstate 1 (Grouping 1) -- This package includes primarily system management types of strategies: · #2 - Increase speed limit on the Maine Turnpike from 55 mph to 60 mph between 6A and 9 and on Falmouth Spur · #3 - Reconfigure Falmouth Spur/I-95/I-295 Interchange in Falmouth · #4 - Add SB lane on I-295 between Exit 3 (Westbrook St) and 4 (Route 1) in South Portland · #5 - Add NB lane on I-295 between Exit 6 (Forest Ave) and 7 (Franklin St) in Portland · #7 - Regional Ring road (keeps Route 703 as freeway facility) · #11 - Reconfigure I-295 Exit 4 in South Portland (not modeled) · #12 - Ramp reconfiguration of Exit 3/Westbrook Street in South Portland · #13 - Full interchange at Route 26/100 and Falmouth Spur in Falmouth · #6 - Regional Toll system with new toll plaza per latest Maine Turnpike Authority concept at Exit 7 (keeping Exit 6A plaza) and removing other plazas on Turnpike and Falmouth Spur. Interstate 2 (Grouping 2) -- Adds Turnpike widening to increment 1: · #1 - Widen Turnpike from 6A to 9 and increase speeds from 55 mph to 65 mph in South Portland, Portland and Falmouth. Interstate 3 (Grouping 3) -- Adds new alignment roadway to increment 1 and 2 · #14 - Limited Access Highway to Gorham from Turnpike Exit 7 in South Portland, Westbrook, Scarborough, Gorham. Interstate 4 (Grouping 4) -- Adds two new alignment roadways to increments 1 through 3: · #15 - Limited access road to Buxton · #16 - Limited access road from Turnpike to Sebago Lake Region. Interstate 5 (Grouping 5) -- Adds widening of I-295 to increment 1: · #8 Widen I-295 from Exit 3 (Westbrook Street) to Bucknam Road · #9 - Widen I-295 north of Bucknam Road. H-2 Arterial Theme Arterial 1 (Grouping 1) -- Changes/modifications to existing roadways such as widening, re- striping, etc.: · #3 - Convert Route 703 to arterial (w/o spur extension to Running Hill Rd), in South Portland · #4 - Widen Spring/Cummings Road & Congress St/County Road, in South Portland, Westbrook, Scarborough and Portland · #6b, c1, c2, d - Reconfigure/widen three Portland arterials (Brighton, Forest, Washington, in Portland · #11 - Widen Riverside Street at Exit 8 of the Turnpike, in Portland · #13 - Widen Route 1 to Dunstan Corner/Payne Road, in Scarborough. Arterial 2 (Grouping 2) -- Adds new alignment roadways to increment 1: · #1 - Gorham bypass, in Gorham · #2a - Southwest overlap bypass from Running Hill Road to Routes 25/114, South Portland, Scarborough and Gorham · #2b - Widen Running Hill Road (with Turnpike Exit 7 Spur extension), in South Portland · #5 - Gorham Industrial Park Road, in Gorham · #7 - I-295 Connector Road extension west to Congress Street, in Portland · #8 - Larrabee Road extension to Spring Street at Eisenhower Drive, in Westbrook · #9 - NB Route 1 On-ramp to Scarborough Connector, in Scarborough · #12 - Highland Ave connector to Rumery Road/Route 1, in South Portland. Arterial 3 (Grouping 3) -- Adds two additional new alignment roadways to increments 1 and 2: · #10 - Falmouth Spur extension arterial to Gorham/Moshers Corner, in Falmouth, Westbrook, Gorham · #17 - Arterial roadway from Maine Turnpike to Route 302/Moshers Corner in Windham. Transit Theme Transit 1 (Grouping 1) -- Increase frequencies on existing fixed routes: · #1 - Double existing route frequencies on METRO, South Portland Bus Service (SPBS) and Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach service (BSOOB services not modeled) Transit 2 (Grouping 2) -- Adds new fixed route services and route extensions to increased frequencies in increment 1: · 2a. Extend SPBS route from Maine Mall to WalMart, in South Portland and Scarborough · 2b. Extend METRO service to West Falmouth Crossing/Turnpike Exit 10, in Portland and Falmouth · 2c. New ‘Outer Ring’ Metro route from Prides Corner to Downtown Westbrook to Maine Mall, in Westbrook and South Portland · 2d. New ‘Inner Ring’ METRO route from Route 1 Falmouth to Ocean Avenue to Pulse, in Falmouth and Portland H-3 · 2e. Extension of METRO Route 4 along Route 25 to Gorham Village and new Park and Ride lots, in Gorham and Westbrook · 2f. New service connecting to METRO Route 2/FAST service from Windham to Prides Corner, in Windham and Westbrook · 2g. New Cape Elizabeth Commuter Service from Shore Road/Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth to Knightville/Millcreek in South Portland and Downtown Portland, in Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and Portland · 2h. New express bus service from Brunswick/Freeport to Portland, in Brunswick, Freeport and Portland · 2i. Port Shuttle circulator between passenger transportation centers, in Portland (not modeled). Transit 3A (Grouping 3A) -- New alignment Bus Rapid Transit service and system enhancements such as automatic vehicle location (AVL), dedicated bus lanes and signal pre- emption in addition to increments 1 and 2 (where service not conflicting): · #3a - Bus Rapid Transit. Transit 3B (Grouping 3B) -- New commuter rail or light rail service in addition to increments 1 and 2 (where service not conflicting): · #3b - Light rail and/or commuter rail. Part 2 – Facility-Specific Impacts of the Transportation Themes Base Scenarios The analysis below describes changes between the Base 2000 and the Base 2025 scenarios. Interstate Highways. Volumes typically increase 50% to 75% on both the northbound and southbound Maine Turnpike. Southbound increases are generally higher. Southbound volumes on the Falmouth Spur are estimated to double while northbound volumes increase slightly. On I- 295 volume increases on a percentage basis are lower than the Turnpike but start from higher base volumes. Increases are forecasted to be in the range of 20% to 50%. Northbound volumes are generally forecasted to have higher increases. Route 1 Corridor. In Scarborough and South Portland, volumes are forecasted to increase in the range of 25% to 40%. In Falmouth south of Bucknam Road, increases are forecasted of approximately 15% while north of Bucknam Road increases are forecasted to be 40% to 50%. Route 22 Corridor. The highest increases in this corridor are forecasted in the section from the new Exit 7A Maine Turnpike interchange through the Route 22/114 overlap area. Increases are over 50%. Increases closer to Portland are in the 15% to 25% range while west of the Route 22/114 overlap volumes increase approximately 45%. Route 25 Corridor. The highest forecasted increases in volumes occur near the new Maine Turnpike Exit 7B in the Rand Road/Larrabee Road area. Sections of Brighton Avenue, Larrabee Road and Bill Clarke Drive are forecasted to have increases over 50%. Volumes on Route 25 in H-4 Gorham are forecasted to increase approximately 35%. Intown of Capisic Street, volumes are forecasted to increase 15% to 25%. Route 302 Corridor. North of Riverside Street in Portland, volumes are forecasted to increase 30% to 40%. Intown of Riverside Street, increases are forecasted to be 10% to 20%. Route 26 & 26/100 Corridor. Near and north of Exit 10, volumes are forecasted to increase 25% to 35%. Intown of Exit 10, increases are in the range of 10% to 20%. Route 77 Corridor. Short sections of Route 77 on the one-way pair of State and High Streets between Park Avenue and Forest Avenue are forecasted to increase approximately 30% while other sections on the peninsula leading to the Casco Bay Bridge are forecasted to have 10% to 20% growth. The Casco Bay Bridge traffic is forecasted to grow by 30%, primarily due to increases in traffic along West Commercial Street due to the I-295 Connector. Sections in South Portland and Cape Elizabeth are forecasted to increase by 20% to 25%. Transportation Themes The analysis below compares describes volume changes relative to the Base 2025 scenario. Interstate Theme The Interstate Theme applies a series of Transportation Systems Management measures (Grouping 1) and interstate capacity increases to existing facilities (Groupings 2 and 5) and new facilities (Groupings 3 and 4) to evaluate their effectiveness on the regional roadway network. Interstate Grouping 1: Transportation System Management This scenario aims to increase the use of the interstate highway system (primarily the Maine Turnpike) for intra-regional trips by implementing the “Regional Ring Road” concept by removing tolls between Exit 7 and Exit 11 of the Maine Turnpike and improving interstate highway accessibility by reconfiguring/adding interchanges in Falmouth, Portland and South Portland. Auxiliary highway lanes are added between interchanges to improve safety. Interstate Highways. South of Exit 6A and Exit 7 of the Maine Turnpike, the model forecasts that volumes change by -10% to -25%, indicating the potential for diversion to non-interstate roadways with the implementation of the regional toll system/regional ring road strategies. North of Exit 6A/Exit 7, northbound Turnpike volumes increase by 30% to 40% from Exit 7 to Exit 8. From Exit 8 to Exit 9/Falmouth Spur, they increase more dramatically, approximately 50%. Southbound south of Exit 9, volumes increase less, in the range of 15% to 25%. I-295 northbound volumes are forecasted to change in the range of -10% to -25% throughout the corridor. Southbound volumes change in the range of -5% to -10%. Route 1 Corridor. Volumes north of the Haigus Parkway show an increase of approximately 10% indicating the potential for diversion from the Maine Turnpike due to the regional toll strategy. In most other locations, volumes are reduced approximately 10%.