LATEST NEWS (primarily about R.O.A.D. actions, and non-press covered other activities)

1 August 2011.  MaineDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt announces abandonment of Wiscasset Bypass alternatives

His announcement email is pasted below in full:

-----Original Message-----
From: Bernhardt, David <David.Bernhardt@maine.gov>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Sent: Mon, Aug 1, 2011 1:58 pm
Subject: FW: E-mail to be distributed today

Dear Midcoast Bypass Task Force Members:   

  Earlier today, I spoke with officials from Wiscasset and Edgecomb to tell them that MaineDOT will not be moving ahead with the Wiscasset Bypass study.    Given the amount of time, effort and funding that has gone into this process, this was a very difficult decision, however, I made the decision based on an analysis of what will be demanded of the department over the coming years and the benefits that would be derived from constructing a bypass.

   Our responsibility going forward is to manage our existing obligations within our existing budget, and to limit adding new infrastructure to that which is shown to provide overwhelming benefits. We know federal transportation funding will continue to decrease, and the era of special earmarks for transportation projects is over.

   The department has to look carefully at the potential cost and benefits of any new infrastructure being considered in Maine. Up until the last year, we believed that over time we could develop funding and make the case for spending what will be close to $100 million on this bypass, however, this is no longer possible.   

  Therefore, I have concluded that the long-term financial forecast – balanced against our number one priority of maintaining the infrastructure we already have and the limited benefits a bypass would provide – makes it impossible to justify that expenditure for this project. A project of this magnitude requires major federal participation as well as some kind of special funding for the state’s portion. We simply do not see this being available in the foreseeable future.    We know that summer traffic continues to present a problem in Wiscasset.

  The department will continue to aggressively pursue potential non-bypass solutions.  As a result of the study, we have already instituted some system management measures, including the web cams linked to the changeable message sign on I-295, posting travel advisories to the www.511maine.gov web site and conducting a pilot study of the impacts traffic officers directing traffic and pedestrians may have in improving traffic flows in Wiscasset. We will also look at the other possible non-bypass infrastructure improvements identified in the study.

  Going forward, new and promising technologies are emerging. I am committed to finding more of these and other answers to the region’s traffic congestion as well.    I want to thank you all for the many, many hours of time you and other Task Force members spent on this process over the past several years. Your willingness to spend time working on this very challenging problem is much appreciated.  

Sincerely,  

David Bernhardt,

Commissioner

MaineDOT

27 June 2011. RESPONSE  from Governor LePage's office to inquiry re: Wiscasset Traffic Congestion.

Excerpts from the letter...

   ....The decision as to whether to continue or stop the study is very difficult. Commissioner Bernhardt and the Office of the Governor are considering all of these effects as they decide whether to complete the study or to end it. We expect the decision will be made shortly.

   ...Regardless of the decision on the bypass, we will contniue to investigate non-bypass solutions in an effort to reduce traffic delays (either in the short- or long-term).  You will soon hear about this summer's Traffic Management Plan utilizing uniformed police officers to better manage pedestrian crossings and vehicular traffic....

26 June 2011.  Wiscasset and MDOT agree on T's and C's for Uniformed Officers at two crosswalks for six weeks this summer. See Agreement

17 May 2011.( Selectmen meeting on this day.) MDOT Proposal for Uniformed Police Officer(s) on Route 1 in Wiscasset this Summer. Gerry Audibert of MDOT wrote a LETTER  to the Wiscasset Town Manager, Laurie Smith, with the proposal and proposed SCHEDULE . See also: 2009 Traffic Data, 2010 Traffic Data, William Curtis Proposal, R.O.A.D. proposal, and Wiscasset Downtown Plan ,  Also MDOT Handout at meeting with traffic data, pedestrian laws and proposed schedule.

14 April 2011.  MDOT announces "Capital Biennial Work Plan"

   Highlights include resurfacing of Davey Bridge, and continued Wiscasset Corridor planning.

2 March 2011. MDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt suspends Gateway 1 program.

Excerpts from Gateway 1 Chair Don White EMAIL....  See LETTER FROM MDOT

From the Chair:
To Everyone in the Gateway1 Corridor:
    It is with disappointment and sadness that I announce that the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, David Bernhardt, has announced the suspension of the Gateway 1 program, effective immediately.  The attached letter from the Commissioner will be mailed to each of you.
      Based on the information I’ve been told, all Gateway 1 meetings should be cancelled.
      To all of the Implementation Steering Committee members and alternates, to all the supporters in member towns and cities, to all the others who have supported this program from it’s inception in 2004, thank you very much. Your hard work and dedication will not go unnoticed. While the official program has been suspended, it is my hope that the principles of the Corridor Action Plan will be implemented throughout the corridor.
       A special vote of thanks goes to Project Administrator Stacy Benjamin of Maine Collaborative Planning and Planner/Consultant Evan Richert for their untiring devotion and expertise to the Gateway 1 program from its beginning.
       Gateway 1 will live on; its principles are the solution to the sensible future of land-use and transportation along Route 1 between Brunswick and Stockton Springs.
Don White, Chairman
Gateway 1 Implementation Steering Committee

16 February 2011.  MDOT News Release:  "Construction set to begin on Ellsworth Bicycle/Pedestrian trail"

   Crews are set to begin clearing brush alongside the Calais Branch Rail Line north of downtown Ellsworth as construction begins on the initial phase of creating a 10’-wide, paved bicycle/pedestrian trail that will connect Ellsworth High School with area neighborhoods.

   The bicycle/pedestrian trail will follow alongside the track from the intersection of Route 179 and Route 1A to Birch Avenue in Ellsworth. The Ellsworth High School is located near the middle of this 1.3 mile section of trail.

   Crews are set to begin clearing the path for the paved trail later this week. Once the ground thaws out, crews will begin the excavation associated with constructing the trail. Construction is expected to be completed by August 23, 2011.

   R. F. Jordan & Sons Construction is the contractor for the $953,000 project.

24 January 2011. R.O.A.D. sends Congratulations EMAIL  to MaineDOT Commissioner Nominee David Bernhardt.

The email reads, in its entirety...

    Congratulations on your nomination as Commissioner of the Maine Dept. of Transportation.  We wish you success in improving the transporation systems of Maine at a reasonable cost.   R.O.A.D. (for Route One Alternative Decisions) is an organization that seeks to improve the traffic flow through Wiscasset through means other than an expensive and destructive bypass. Our website is www.wiscasset-road.org.  You may have already seen our several letters to Commissioner Cole and Gerry Audibert which present the alternative, "ICR" ("Improve the Current Route.") 

   As the primary source of the congestion is pedestrians in downtown Wiscasset. R.O.A.D. proposes using a traffic control officer, and a pedestrian bridge or tunnel to minimize the interference by pedestrians with Route 1 traffic.  We have proposed other measures to reduce the interference with Route 1 by vehicles turning, crossing and parking.   

    Given all the other demands on MaineDOT resources over the coming years, and given your record of efficient spending, we hope that you will agree to explore and implement "ICR" before proposing state and Federal funding for a $100 million, 4-mile long bypass, to fix a 100 yard problem.   At your earliest convenience, after your confirmation, can we meet with you to discuss this matter further?

10 January 2011. The Newcastle Board of Selectmen send a LETTER   to Gerry Audibert of MaineDOT regarding future of Wiscasset project.

Excerpts from the letter...

   It is worthwhile to implement changes to Route 1, to determine if they would in fact enhance traffic flow for the summer of 2011. These changes should include, employing well trained crossing guards, construction of a pedestrian tunnel or bridge over Route 1. The relocation of Red's Eats to provide better control of traffic, or making infrastructure changes to the Route 1/Route 27·intersection.
     Recognizing that such changes cannot be implemented in a single year, the MDOT should implement a standing committee made up of representatives from surrounding towns, including Wiscasset, to work on traffic flow through the village. A committee with this sole objective would be useful to the MOOT.
     Finally and most importantly, is the issue of cost. According to state reports, the MDOT has a 3.5 billion dollar budget shortfall expanding across the next decade. The MDOT is shedding its responsibility for the state's minor collector roads by shifting that maintenance, much of it long deferred, to the municipalities. Furthermore, it is unwise, and of questionable benefit to taxpayers, to spend $100 million for a bypass that will not be used 9 months of the year, and will not provide the needed relief along Route 1.
     In conclusion, further research needs to be performed to ensure less costly traffic enhancements are tested to prove, without a doubt, the need for the bypass. New traffic measures are required for downtown Wiscasset. Further research for developing a route to avoid the six hundred and sixty foot radius around the eagle's nest. or its relocation must be performed. Until these efforts have been adequately investigated we cannot in good conscience support the N2 routes and as a result deem them unacceptable to the Town of Newcastle.
 

31 December 2010.  R.O.A.D. sends its "Comments,"  with attachments, to Gerry Audibert of MaineDOT. The forwarding email is below, followed by the linked attachments.

 Sent: Friday, December 31, 2010 6:54 AM

Subject: Comments of R.O.A.D. regarding Reduction of Wiscasset Route 1 congestion through "ICR" alternatives ("Improve the Current Route")
Dear Gerry,  

   Attached is the R.O.A.D. 31 December letter to you with comments about the need to research and implement the "ICR" alternatives ("Improve the Current Route").  Also attached are seven documents incorporated by reference into the letter.  

   Thank you for your work on this project. We remain committed to the same primary goal as MaineDOT and other participants in the process, which is the substantial reduction of Route 1 traffic congestion in Wiscasset.  

Very sincerely,  

Morrison  

[Attachments]

   6 October 2010 LETTER from R.O.A.D. to MaineDOT Commissioner David Cole.

   9 November 2010 LETTER from Gerry Audibert, MaineDOT, to R.O.A.D.

   2 December 2010. R.O.A.D. LETTER  to MaineDOT Commissioner David Cole.

   3 December 2010 Task Force  Study Synopsis .

15 December 2010 R.O.A.D. GRAPH of projected and actual traffic on Davey Bridge.

15 December 2010 MaineDOT SUMMARY  of  non-bypass improvements.

28 December 2010 R.O.A.D. Letter to the Editor   to the Times Record, Lincoln County News,  

     Wiscasset Newspaper and Coastal Journal.

15 December 2010. At the Wiscaaset Task Force meeting at the Eddy School in Edgecomb, the option of "Improve the Current Route" was designated as "ICR." Grace Martin of the Federal Highway Administration, and Jay Clement of the Army Corps of Engineers agreed that "ICR" could be submitted for further consideration, as an alternative to the MaineDOT-proposed By-passes. See handout and other Task Force documents:  

      R.O.A.D. "ICR" Summary, 

      R.O.A.D. Graph: Davey Bridge Traffic: Actual and MaineDOT Forecast, 

      MaineDOT Handout "Non-Bypass Improvements", 

      MaineDOT Task Force Meeting Agenda.

      U.S. Fish and Wildlife Handout re: Eagle Nest

      MaineDOT Presentation to the Wiscasset Route 1 Task Force    

      Task Force Resolution, presented by Lincoln County planner, Bob Faunce  (The

         resolution passed, 9-5-1.)

13 December 2010. R.O.A.D. sent an EMAIL  to the Wiscasset Route 1 Task Force to recommend that it VOTE to "Improve the Current Route." 

The email begins....

To Members of the Wiscasset Route 1 Task Force:
      Please VOTE against any By-pass proposal at your meeting on Wednesday, 15 December, and VOTE instead for two outcomes:
    1. To support the "Improvement of the Current Route One" as THE best, cost-effective,

        and LEDPA way to reduce  Wiscasset's seasonal traffic congestion, and
    2. To support the creation of a standing or permanent Wiscasset Congestion

         Committee,  led by the MaineDOT, to continue to work for "Improvements in

         the Current Route One."
Whatever the benefits and costs perceived in the past for a By-pass around downtown Wiscasset, the costs of any By-pass now far outweigh the benefits, and the benefits of "Improving the Current Route One" far outweigh the costs.....

[See other letters submitted to MaineDOT:  Sheepscot Valley Conservation Assn., Town of Boothbay,  Town of Edgecomb, Town of Newcastle.

9 December 2010. Kat Beaudoin and Gerry Audibert of MDOT write letter to the Wiscasset Task Force members about the upcoming Task Force meeting and By-pass review process.

In its entirety....

Dear Members of the Midcoast Bypass Task Force:
    Several of you have written us seeking clarification as to the intent of next week's Task Force meeting and to ask to establish boundaries on the meeting agenda and expectations. I want to thank Doug Baston, Bob Faunce, Amanda Russell and Don Jones for their questions, comments and concerns to help me frame this additional information for you prior to next week's meeting.
     First, let me begin by stating I understand there is a lot of confusion and frustration right now, since we have not yet met to discuss what is happening, how we got to this point or our plans moving forward. We are particularly disappointed to yet again have to keep property owners in limbo - we want to complete any new work as quickly and efficiently as possible to release them from the unknown. In the past, the Task Force has provided valuable insight and worked through difficult controversy to achieve some level of consensus, and we ask that you do that again with us as we continue the public process. I ensure you we will set the proper boundaries at the start of next week's meeting to contain the level of discussion appropriate to the new charge and to also contain everyone’s expectations so they are realistic. We would also ask that you use your position as Task Force member to help move this process forward in as positive a manner as possible. Given that as a backdrop, allow me to provide more details here so you can better understand how we intend to proceed.
    By federal law, we cannot build N8c because it would require taking the bald eagle nest --- takings of bald eagle nests are prohibited by federal law if other practicable alternatives exist. So we need to accept that and move on. The next steps are discussed in the following paragraphs.
Following next week's meeting, we will allow a 30-day written comment period for the public to submit their letters of support to continue the study. Several of you have asked why we are opening up the process at this time. At least one person has expressed doubt as to the need for high-level support of a project that is perceived as a done deal. The Department is under transition; the leadership of this agency has not been named at this time. It is important that we brief the leadership and new administration before we proceed. It is our judgment that we need to once again ascertain regional support for this project. We do not expect a full consensus now, as we did not fully achieve consensus two years ago. And, as I have mentioned in the past, the FHWA will not provide us with a Record of Decision (i.e., approval to move forward to design, right-of-way acquisition and construction) unless and until we have a definite funding plan
At the end of the 30-day comment period, we will make a recommendation to the Governor. If the new Administration gives us the green light to proceed, we would expect to complete the new work as quickly as possible and would work with the Army Corps to ensure we are all on the same page in terms of an expedited process.
    Regarding what next steps would need to take place, the Corps has determined that "practicable alternatives" are those that were carried forward in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
    Our intent is to work with the Task Force to minimize all impacts to the affected communities, keeping in mind that ultimately it is the environmental impacts that will determine which alternative becomes the new LEDPA. In this process we will not be asking communities or organizations to provide an opinion on any particular alternative, but simply asking you to help us reduce impacts on any alternatives under consideration.
    Jay Clement of the Army Corps of Engineers plans to attend the meeting and we have asked US Fish & Wildlife (who have jurisdiction over eagle nests) to attend as well to answer questions.
    I hope this quick walk-through helps alleviate at least some of your concerns. I assure you we are not pleased with this setback, but we must work within what the law will allow and what the new Administration will support.
    Carol Morris has asked Task Force members to submit their major questions and concerns in advance if possible so we can address them at the meeting. Please feel free to contact me again if you have any other real concerns that cannot wait for the meeting next week. Thank you for your continued interest in this long-standing effort -- your thoughtful comments are always welcome!

6 December 2010.  The renewed Wiscasset Task Force will meet at 6:30 at the Eddy School in Edgecomb.

Excerpts of Carol Morris email to Task Force members:

   ....The Task Force meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 15th from 6:30 to  8:30 pm at the Eddy School on Rte. 27 in Edgecomb.
    Please note that we will hold a Task Force meeting for about 90 minutes to give  you (and the audience) a chance to hear the facts and provide you as a Task  Force the opportunity to talk through the potential next steps as they are allowed by law. We will then open it up to the public to ask questions and make comments. 
    By the close of the meeting, MaineDOT will need some sense of whether the Task  Force and the municipalities and organizations it represents,  support continuing the process to find a permittable alternative. There will also be a 30-day  comment period during which we will invite written comment on that question. The results of this will go to the new administration to determine if support for continuing the process exists at  the top level. If both the community and the governor's office supports moving ahead, MaineDOT will do so.

3 December 2010. MDOT sends a "FACT SHEET"  to the members of the Wiscasset Task Force, including a HISTORY of the By-Pass project, and a LETTER  from Kat Beaudoin, MDOT to the Task Force about the recent changes and about the upcoming Task Force meeting on Wednesday, 15 December.  

At the bottom of the "Fact Sheet" are these Recommendations:

   -Hold a Midcoast Bypass Task Force Meeting on the evening of December 15, 2010. The public is welcome to attend and observe. The agenda will be to review the current status and to obtain Task Force input as to the desire to continue the study, followed by a 30-minute period for limited public comment. A 30-day written comment period will follow for anyone to submit further comments.   

  -Following the 30-day public comment period, MaineDOT will seek from the new administration  guidance on whether to proceed with the Wiscasset Route 1 Corridor Study.

2 December 2010. R.O.A.D. responded with a LETTER  to the 9 November letter to R.O.A.D. from MaineDOT's Gerry Audibert.

The letter began...

    Thank you for Mr. Gerry Audibert's 9 November response to our letter to you of 6 October 2010.  This letter responds to his letter, and then addresses the opportunity presented by the recent decision to abandon Route N8C....
 

30 November 2010.  MDOT News Release:  "Eagle's nest alters Wiscasset bypass plans"

The release begins....

   Following the discovery of an undocumented eagle’s nest along the previously approved proposed Wiscasset Bypass corridor, the US Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) has informed the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) that the proposed route is no longer acceptable, and MaineDOT has been asked to resubmit documents supporting earlier alternatives towards the goal of establishing a new route for the Wiscasset Bypass. ...

8 November 2010. Letter, dated 29 October, from Preti Flaherty lawyer, Michael

Lane, sent to 80+ By-Pass-affected landlowners.  See also,  followup letter  sent by Mr. Lane to property owners who contacted him after receiving the 29 October letter.

The letter begins....

    Earlier this year, the Maine Department of Transportation ("MDOT") and the Army

Corps of Engineers finalized the location of the proposed Wiscasset Route 1 Bypass (the

"Bypass"). Based on our review of the route map, it appears that your lot may be affected by the

chosen route. If the final 'Placement of the Bypass crosses your property, under the law of

eminent domain, MDOT has the right to take your property.....

9 November 2010. The MDOT responded with a LETTER  from Gerry Audibert to the R.O.A.D.

letter of 6 October 2010.

Excerpts from the letter. 

    In response to your three points, I feel confident that MaineDOT has addressed the requirements of Maine's Sensible Transportation Policy Act. The Depar1ment has evaluated dozens of alternatives, including ''no-build'' options that tried to improve congestion occurring in Wiscasset Village and will continue to identify and evaluate all potentially feasible alternatives to minimize traffic congestion until such time as the bypass can be funded.
Please allow me to respond to your three points with more detail:.....

1 November 2010. Wiscasset Transportation Committee approved the following:

The Transportation Committee supports the following recommendations made by R.O.A.D:
     1.  MDOT fund a trained officer to direct traffic in downtown Wiscasset during the high traffic

          congestion periods.
     2.  Signage on I-295 be enhanced to specifically encourage use of alternate routes (e.g.

          Route 3).
     3. Provide information to travelers about alternate local routes (e.g. Mountain Rd, Sheepscot

         Rd).
     4. Request MDOT to provide recent traffic data for Route 1 in Wiscasset
     5. Move forward on the Railroad Avenue project to provide increased parking, relocate and

         expand the train-boarding platform, and create an intermodal terminal in Wiscasset.

7 October 2010.  R.O.A.D. sends LETTER  to MDOT Commissioner David Cole. 

The letter begins...

This is a long letter, with three sections, but the stakes are high, and the hour is late:
       1. Building a By-Pass without further consideration of Improving the Route in downtown

           Wiscasset would violate the Maine Sensible Transportation Policy Act and the By-Pass

           would not be the Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative.

       2. What's needed is further study and analysis of the costs and benefits of Improving the

           Route, and comparison to the By-Pass proposal.

       3. Additional interim steps are needed and would be cost effective to reduce congestion

           during the years before the Route is Improved or a By-Pass is built.

21 Sept. 2010. On the AGENDA   for the Wiscasset Select Board for its Tuesday, 21 Sept meeting is this motion, from Don Jones: Wiscasset Transportation Committee
 "Motion: The Board of Selectmen adopt the language from the Wiscasset Transportation Committee as follows:
     The Board of Selectmen directs the Town Manager to make a Freedom of Information request to the Army Corps of Engineers for all information that pertains to how the USACE arrived at their decision that the N8c route was the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) for the Wiscasset Bypass versus the N2a route that was recommended by MDOT, FHWA, and the Midcoast Bypass Task Force. The town requests the entire case record including emails, memos, analyses, and records of meetings both internal and external such as with MDOT or any developers and their lawyers, i.e. Mssrs. Benway and Fitts, or anyone else who may have had contact or conversation with the USACE concerning the impact of the various routes under consideration on their particular developments/properties."

4 August 2010 LETTER from the Town Manager, Laurie Smith, of the Town of Wiscasset to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The letter begins....

    On behalf of the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen, I am writing to you in regard to US Army Corps of Engineers May 24, 2010 LEDPA determination with respect to Public Notice NAE~2000-01S7S-Wiscasset Bypass. The Board respectfully asks that you reconsider this LEDPA finding....

Summer 2010. Sheepscot Valley Conservation Assn. summarizes its position regarding a ByPass, in an ARTICLE  in the Summer, "Sheepscot Log."

An excerpt from the article....

 Fifteen years ago, when the latest chapter in the bypass wars began, SVCA's position was that the periodic summer traffic backups did not warrant the environmental damage that construction and use of a bypass would produce.
  Throughout the 90's we supported a nobuild option. But when the Maine Department of
Transportation (MDOT) began laying out alternative routes, and political pressure for a bypass

mounted, we undertook a careful analysis of the potential environmental impacts of each route based on a number of indicators including wetland loss, landscape fragmentation, effects on threatened and endangered species as well as the number of residences and businesses that would need to relocate. The results of this analysis indicated that of all the proposed routes, N8c would be the least damaging, despite its requiring a new long bridge over the Sheepscot, and would also be the most effective route in terms of reducing summertime traffic congestion. Therefore, while still favoring no-build, the seeming unlikelihood of its acceptance by the MDOT road planners led SVCA to lend reluctant support to N8c as the next best alternative.

18 July 2010. R.O.A.D. Co-Chair Morrison Bonpasse writes inquiry EMAIL   to the John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center to inquire about commissioning a study for an innovative intermodal solution to the Wiscasset congestion.

Except from the email....

"What this Wiscasset-congestion project needs is an innovative approach to:

    1. Improve the traffic flow through Wiscasset.

    2. Enhance the historic waterfront downtown of Wiscasset

    3. Promote the return of railroad traffic.

    I'm confident that the Volpe Center could propose one or more intermodal designs which would be far better for Wiscasset and for Maine, and less costly, than the proposed By-Pass. The existing and historic Route 1 corridor is unusually wide, which provides room for innovative design.... "

5 July 2010.  R.O.A.D. uses MDOT data to show traffic volume decline since 2000. See TRAFFIC VOLUME GRAPH

3 July 2010.  Projected N8C Bridge would be second longest in Maine.  See BRIDGE FACT SHEET by R.O.A.D. member Dan Sortwell

29 June 2010. Meeting of R.O.A.D.  Voted overwhelmingly to support the improvement of the interchange at Route 1/Route27 in Edgecomb.  There was discussion of the need for Red's Eats to relocate, and how that could be a "win-win" for Red's Eats, the Town of Wiscasset and for Route 1 traffic flow.  One option is to move to the Wiscasset Hardware building and another is to Davis Island, with both options having views of the Sheepscot.  Members will contact the Wiscasset Selectmen to explore options.

15 June 2010.  R.O.A.D. meets to plan opposition strategy to the Proposed N8C By-Pass. 

    The organization met to plan for the communication to the people of Wiscasset and Maine of the truth about the proposed By-Pass - that it's grossly destructive and expensive, and that for far less cost, the current traffic corridor can be improved.    For $500,000 or less, the restaurant Red's Eats could be moved 30 yards west and out of the way, and a pedestrian bridge could be built to the current site of Red's Eats.

24 May 2010. Army Corps of Engineers selects By-Pass Route N8C as the LEDPA (Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative.)  See ACOE Letter.

16 February 2010. R.O.A.D. Submits "Comments"  to Army Corps of Engineers. R.O.A.D. member, Dan Sortwell, also submitted "Comments"

   Among other good points, Dan noted that traffic data needs to be accurate. He wrote,

   "MaineDOT assumed a 1.5% annual increase in traffic volume and used that to project the traffic volume in 2030 from their 2000 model4. However, as shown in the graph below, national traffic volume actually dropped in 2008 and then rose only slightly in 2009. My own impression is that traffic volume through Wiscasset also dropped during 2008-2009, in line with the national trend.

     One of the goals of the Wiscasset Traveler Information System (WTIS), put in place by MaineDOT, was to report on traffic volume for the 2009 summer season5. This report should be out by May, 20106. I would recommend that the LEDPA determination be delayed until MaineDOT changes their traffic volume projections for 2030 (p.14 of the USACE public notice) to reflect actual traffic data from 2009."

2 January 2010. "Public asked to participate in Wiscasset Bypass public process "

   AUGUSTA – The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has announced it is accepting public comments on the three final choices for a bypass route around Wiscasset’s downtown.

    Comments will be accepted by the USACE through February 19, 2010 and can be emailed to Jay Clement at jay.l.clement@usace.army.mil or mailed to him at:

     U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,  Maine Project Office

     675 Western Avenue, #3   Manchester, Maine 04351.

22 July 2009  Discussion on "As Maine Goes" re: Crash on Davey Bridge:  "Wiscasset Bridge Crash Snarles Route 1 Traffic"  The discussion included State Rep. Jonathan Kane and Wiscasset resident Don Jones.

4 July 2009. Webcams and radar monitors are LIVE at the Wiscasset and Edgecomb ends of the Wiscasset Corridor. Click on Webcams/Radar and then click on the device to be monitored.

13 September 2008.  Steve Cartright of Waldoboro writes LETTER to Kat Fuller, Chief Planner of MDOT re: Bypass and need for comprehensive solution to Route 1 congestion.

The letter begins...

The congestion in Wiscasset is greatly exaggerated. I drive this road frequently and very seldom have to wait very long. If you relocated Red's Eats, a lot of the summer tie-ups would be reduced. It's crazy to let one, ho-hum food stand create major traffic flow problems. The traffic back-up at Wiscasset pales compared to traffic jams on Route 128
around Boston, or even Western Avenue and Route 202 to Manchester, which I know has been an MDOT headache for years. The problem isn't lack of roads, it's our pattern of one-person-per-car commuting and our impatience at even a five-minute delay in our daily drive....

10 June 2008.  By-Pass Task Force sees progress on four "Alternatives" to By-pass

  1.  Install cameras to provide web based traffic information that  will tie in with variable message signs.
    2.  Install changeable message signs at I-295 Brunswick mile marker 25 exit saying there is congestion in Wiscasset so that people can stay on 295 rather than taking the coastal route.  This is expected to be up and running by June 16th.
    3  A message sign installed 500 feet west of Route 27 at Boothbay exit to provide advance warning to motorists heading south that there is congestion and they need to be prepared to stop.  This is supposed to be activated Labor Day.
    4.  They expect to have the cost estimate for an underground pedestrian walkway available by June 30th.

   See full MDOP report of  "Interim Treatments Action Plan"

7 June 2008.  R.O.A.D. Co-Chair, Morrison Bonpasse, sends followup LETTER to MDOT Commissioner, David Cole to urge MDOT to install Web cameras at each end of the Wiscasset Traffic Zone and to install a web-connected permanent traffic counter.

Bonpasse wrote, "It's now the second week of June, and the seasonal increase in traffic in Wiscasset is upon us, but I haven't heard from you about the webcams or the traffic counter."  [See the earlier followup LETTER of 30 April, and the initial DEIS feedback LETTER to Commissioner Cole of 19 December 2007.]

28 January 2008.  R.O.A.D. was advised by D.O.T. Consultant, Carol Morris, that the R.O.A.D. application to join the Task Force was turned down.  However, email communications to the Task Force will now be sent to R.O.A.D. See Carol Morris email

24 January 2008. The Mid-Coast Bypass Task Force met in Edgecomb and discussed the DEIS comments submitted to D.O.T.  Also discussed was the R.O.A.D. application to join the Task Force.  D.O.T. prepared a SUMMARY of the public's comments on the D.E.I.S.

18-19 January 2008.  R.O.A.D. requests to join the Mid-Coast Bypass Task Force in 18 January 2008 EMAIL to Carol Morris, Communications Consultant for the Bypass project.  She responded with an EMAIL  on the same day asking for information about R.O.A.D.  Morrison Bonpasse, for R.O.A.D. responded by EMAIL   on 19 January, and noted that R.O.A.D. has a website and is devoted entirely to the issue of solving the seasonal Wiscasset traffic problem.

21 December 2007.  R.O.A.D. submits DEIS Comments to MDOT.

     In addition to opposing the five MDOT proposed routes, R.O.A.D. made three requests:

        1. for a permanent counter to continuously monitor traffic volume in Wiscasset.

        2. for webcams to be established at either end of the SSZ (Seasonal Slow Zone).

       3. for an evaluation of the costs of building a pedestrian tunnel or bridge in the vicinity of the

            intersection of Route 1 and the railroad.