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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-07-23 Infrastructure Committee Minutes Infrastructure Committee Minutes July 9, 2013 ATTENDEES Councilors: Benjamin Sprague Pauline Civiello James Gallant Joseph Baldacci Neslon Durgin Staff: Dana Wardwell Art Morgan Guests: Agenda 1. Easement Request: Time Warner Cable – Kenduskeag Plaza (Easement, Location Map, and Requests Attached) City Engineer, Art Morgan stated Time Warner Cable approached the City with a request to expand communication lines and high speed services in the downtown area, with the least amount of conflict to other utilities. The new conduit would be installed in Kenduskeag Plaza on the west side. Council Sprague moved and it was seconded to grant easement. Vote: Unanimous 2. Discussion: Broadway Traffic Access Management Dana Wardwell explained that Broadway was congested, with high amount of traffic and it offered an odd configuration of streets entering, limiting what the traffic signals could handle. The request was for the recommendation of the Committee to look at access to and from the Broadway corridor. Councilor Sprague stated it was a classic example of the evolution over three years ago. He noted the high impact zone from Mary Snow School to Bangor High School and at the area of the Chinese restaurant and the Bangor Gardens access area. Dana explained that he and the City Engineer had discussed Alden Street’s potential for a right in right out which could free traffic signals utilized elsewhere in the corridor. Falvey Street was not lined up with the driveway of the Chinese restaurant and only access for the Bangor Garden’s residents would be right in right out but it would not be popular. Art stated there were a lot of moving parts on Broadway. The signals in the Broadway corridor were the most sophisticated in the City, as they were designed to adjust phasing optimizing traffic flow; so sophisticated, in fact, that there has been difficulty with personnel to maximize its efficiency. He informed the Committee Maine Department of Transportation had been working on a project and adjusted the settings, which through the whole system off. He asked if the Committee was interested in 1 proceeding in pursuing a possible individual or the availability of an expert to look at the measures and tools the City could use to maximize traffic flow and look into available funding sources. Councilor Baldacci stated he was definitely interested, stating that it was a main artery in the City and asked about the possibility of widening Broadway. Art explained there was a project done by MDOT in the past to widen and to do a widening in the future would impact businesses signs, setbacks, and would require property acquisition. This option could be looked into. Councilor Durgin stated Broadway being mixed use and residential with three schools, a hospital, a health facility, shopping center, when doing an assessment look into the factors of traffic behavior, commuters, and business access. Councilor Civiello noted the traffic concerns of Kenduskeag Avenue usage and the growth of Husson University should be taken into consideration with the Broadway corridor access. Art stated a traffic speed analysis could be performed by MDOT, at no charge to the City for Kendsuskeag Avenue. There wasn’t as high a volume on Kenduskeag as on Broadway. Councilor Baldacci asked about traffic counts on Broadway. He was informed that it was one of the busiest, if not the busiest in the City, and a couple years ago it was around 14,000 cars a day; I-95 had a traffic count of 28,000 a day, just to give a perspective. Councilor Baldacci stated that Kenduskeag was more a traffic calming issue and recommended that a promise made should be followed-up and to provide for Mr. Noel who brought safety concerns to the Council, and also inform him that a study could be performed by MDOT. Councilor Gallant stated there were many moving parts on Broadway and agreed with moving forward. He strongly recommended holding a public hearing and acquiring public comments. He requested sixty days for the topic to come back to the Committee with who the players would be whether state agencies or in house, along with Councilor Durgin’s request for a proposal. Vote: Unanimous Dana provided the Committee with information regarding upcoming MDOT projects. I-95 work would be performed replacing guardrail with concrete barriers between Hammond Street and Essex Street. Also next year when the replacing the Union Street bridge, the state would be lengthen the ramp onto the interstate for safer merging. Motion made and seconded to adjourn at approximately 5:45 p.m. 2