City Ready to Launch Congress Street Bus Priority Corridor Trial

Launch of Bus Priority Corridor Trial Aimed at Reducing Peak Hour Traffic Volumes
Portland, Maine - The City of Portland and PACTS, in collaboration with METRO and the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS) plans to launch a Congress Street Bus Priority Corridor Trial beginning Monday, November 25, 2013.  The trial is one of a series of steps recommended as part of the Peninsula Transit Study.  The Peninsula transit study goals were to simplify bus access, reduce bus travel time through downtown and generally encourage use of public transit.   The plan for the Congress Street Priority Corridor as recommended in the study, was completed and approved by City Council earlier this year.

The trial area extends along Congress Street from Franklin to State Street with the concentration of implementation efforts from Elm to High Street.  To accomplish the goals of the trial changes will include bus stop relocations and traffic signal adjustments to optimize traffic flow. "The success of a bus corridor is contingent upon moving all travel on the corridor more or less at the speed of the bus," stated City Engineer Jeremiah Bartlett.  "The changes you will see will allow us to more fully evaluate the feasibility of the corridor and are based upon an analysis of traffic forecasts along Congress out to the year 2025. This is exactly the kind of forward thinking that will benefit Portland in the future."

The original Peninsula Transit Study resulted from a partnership between the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), PACTS and the City of Portland. Engaged stakeholders included regional transit providers (METRO, South Portland Bus, Shuttle Bus/Zoom, RTP) the Portland Downtown District and other operational stakeholders and key property owners.  It is just one component in an overall plan designed to support a shift towards an increased use of transit within the City and regionally.  "We have been working on this plan for some time and look forward to what we will learn from the trial," stated City Councilor Dave Marshall, Chair of the City Council's Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee, "our viability as a region is dependent upon a seamless transit network.  Superior transit service within Portland, the core of the region, is critical."

Preliminary steps for the implementation of this effort have already taken place, with lane striping changes and signal timing upgrades at the intersections of Congress Street with Forest Avenue, Temple Street and Pearl Street.  Slated for next week will be adjustments to bus stop locations, resulting in bus stops in-line with traffic for westbound buses at Park Avenue and Temple Street, and eastbound buses at the Portland Public Library and Forest Avenue.  In addition, the traffic signals at Casco and Brown Streets, which do not meet volume-based traffic signal warrants, will be placed on flash for the duration of the trial.

Pending a successful outcome of the trial in early 2014, additional work will be done along the corridor, including sidewalk expansion, improved curb ramps, upgraded crosswalks, signal coordination, an increase of on-street parking and ultimately, several bus shelters.

For more information contact Jeremiah Bartlett, City Transportation Engineer at JBartlett@portlandmaine.gov or (207)874-8891.