PLANNING FOR TRAFFIC

Predictions of highway congestion in Bangor may sound frightening, but some perspective is likely to dampen that concern and thoughtful planning can avoid or minimize potential problems.

A report released last week warned that congestion in the Bangor area could double by 2030 and that 13 miles of new pavement could be needed to avert clogged roads. The report was done by the Reason Foundation, which receives major support from oil and gas interests.

The report noted that Maine ranks 46 out of the 50 states in terms of traffic congestion. Further, traffic in Bangor moves only 4 percent slower during peak travel times than during off-peak times. Without changes, that could change to 8 percent by 2030. That means a 20-minute commute at 8 a.m. now takes 48 seconds longer than a mid-afternoon drive. By 2030, the commute could stretch to 21.5 minutes, not the type of change worth losing sleep over. The situation is a bit worse in the more populous Portland area.

By contrast, a rush-hour drive in Minneapolis takes more than one-third as long as a nonpeak time drive. In Los Angeles, the most congested city in America, a rush-hour drive takes 75 percent longer than the same drive at another time of the day.

There are three main types of road congestion in Maine, says Department of Transportation Commissioner David Cole. One is highway backups, typically during morning and evening commutes. Problem areas, such as on Interstate 295 in the Portland area, often involve smaller highways feeding into the interstate. When new overpasses and bridges are built on these roads, DOT is already building them to accommodate an expansion to six lanes, which in the Bangor area is likely years away.

A second category is rural highways where use tends to vary by season. Route 1A to Ellsworth and Route 3 on to Bar Harbor and Route 1 along the coast are examples. These roads are used by local residents to travel to and from work and to run errands, by businesses shipping or receiving goods and, in the summer, by tourists travelling along the coast. Widening stretches of road, providing dedicated turning lanes and limiting the number of driveways and side roads that directly access Route 1 can help.

The third category involves retail areas. In Bangor, some of the worst traffic delays are in the area around the mall. In these areas, more stores and more pavement often just translates into more cars and more gridlock. The DOT and local planners already include traffic movements in considerations of where to local new large retail establishments.

However, communities should get better at balancing the desire for more tax revenue against future infrastructure costs, such as road widenings and additional stoplights that will ultimately be required when new developments come to an area.

Ellsworth has moved in this direction by approving an impact fee that would be charged to any new business in a development district zone along Routes 1 and 3 to help offset the $2 million cost of road improvements.

Bangor’s roads will get slightly more crowded and road improvements are inevitable, but good land-use planning can help assure that such work is done at the right time and in the right place.