#gorhamspur — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #gorhamspur, aggregated by home.social.
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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YES! VICTORY! Public pushback makes a difference!
#MaineTurnpikeAuthority drops controversial #GorhamConnector project
by WGME Staff Thu, March 6th 2025 at 7:56 PM
GORHAM (WGME) – "The Maine Turnpike Authority is now dropping its controversial Gorham connector project.
"The project would have built a new highway from South Portland to Gorham, with the goal of easing heavy road congestion.
"The MTA paused the project last year after receiving backlash from local residents.
"The project would have required the demolition of nearly a dozen homes and confiscation of #farmland."
"'There was a lot of concern, and people wondered if it's the right-sized tool for the job, a lot of people have concerns that, building another highway, there's concerns that it will just fill up,' MTA Director of Communications Erin Courtney said.
The MTA says it's heading back to the drawing board to re-examine traffic conditions and review past mobility studies to find better ways to ease congestion in the area." [Like #LightRail, #RapidTransitBusLines and more #BikeLanes!]
https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-turnpike-authority-drops-controversial-gorham-connector-project-south-portland
#Maine #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SmilingHillFarm #InducedSprawl #GorhamConnector #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit -
#ScarboroughMaine Town Council rescinds support for #GorhamConnector
The 6-1 vote on the resolution follows increasing opposition among town residents to the controversial $331 million, 5-mile highway, which would affect 35 property owners in town.
by Drew Johnson
10/2/2024"The vote was not unexpected; a majority of councilors had voiced support for the resolution at a meeting last month.
"Myles Smith, a member of the #MainersForSmarterTransportation group that organized a rally outside Town Hall Wednesday night, commended the council for taking up the resolution.
"'We’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘There’s nothing we can do about this project,’ ‘It’s a done deal,’ or ‘It’s decided by the state,’ ' Smith said. 'But that’s not true. When people come together and stand up for what they believe in, and our elected leaders listen to their concerns, we can make changes that people want to see in their community.'
"The resolution rescinds the council’s support for the connector, citing the failure of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority to fulfill the terms of its agreement with Scarborough and three other communities, as well as town residents’ widespread opposition to the project.
"The resolution is not binding on future councils and leaves open the possibility of collaborating with state and regional transportation groups to resolve traffic issues should such efforts garner significant public support.
"The Maine Turnpike Authority, Scarborough, Gorham, South Portland and Westbrook signed an agreement in May 2022 pledging support for the project. While those other communities have not officially considered withdrawing their support, officials in the other municipalities have been watching the Scarborough council’s deliberations closely as public opposition to the project mounts.
"The project, estimated to cost at least $331 million, was proposed by the turnpike authority to alleviate traffic congestion through the Gorham area and has been contentious from the outset.
"The four-lane, 5-mile connector would stretch from Route 114 at the Gorham Bypass into Scarborough with interchanges at County and Running Hill roads before linking up with Interstate 95 at Exit 45 in South Portland. It’s designed to alleviate traffic in other parts of those communities, such as on Route 114 and Route 22, which provide connections to the highway.
"According to a turnpike authority presentation to the Scarborough council in February, about 50 landowners would be impacted by the project via easements, 35 of them in Scarborough. The connector also would weave through #wetlands in the northern portion of town, sparking #environmental concerns.
"The preferred path also is set to cut through a portion of #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookMaine, a family-owned farm on 500 acres that has been in the Knight family for 13 generations, which spurred widespread opposition to the project.
"'I’m hoping today that the Town Council members decide to put a pause on this and to talk to the MTA about finding alternate routes or scrapping this project altogether,' Ben Wallace, a 12th-generation farmer at Smiling Hill Farm, said ahead of the vote."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/02/scarborough-town-council-votes-to-rescind-support-for-gorham-connector-project/Archived version:
https://archive.md/dkvkB#selection-2485.0-2541.254#Maine #MaineNews #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout -
UPDATE: Scarborough withdrew their support for the Gorham Connector!
So, the word I'm hearing is that so many people showed up at a recent meeting voicing their opposition, the #ScarboroughMaine Town Council has no choice but to withdraw their support.
Scarborough council to vote on withdrawing support for #GorhamConnector
by Aysia Reed, WGME
Wed, October 2nd 2024#Maine #MaineNews #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl -
Upcoming meeting! Find out about alternatives to the #GorhamConnector in Southern #Maine! #LessCars, #MorePublicTransportation!
Gorham Notes: Aug. 29, 2024
by Robert Lowell"Gorham connector forum
#MainersForSmarterTransportation have a community forum planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the #WestbrookMaine Community Center on the proposed Gorham Connector to the #MaineTurnpike."The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority is proposing a 5-mile, four-lane connector from the roundabout on Gorham’s South Street to Exit 45 in South Portland.
The plan calls for the connector to slice through #SmilingHillFarm and has generated an extensive public outcry. The connector is aimed at easing the heavy commuter traffic in the routes 22 and 114 corridor through #GorhamMaine, #ScarboroughMaine and Westbrook."Original article [may be behind paywall]:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/08/29/gorham-notes-aug-29/Archive:
https://archive.md/qDpDR#selection-2399.0-2413.250#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook -
YES!
Peter Mills stepping down as head of Maine Turnpike Authority
Gov. Janet Mills' brother, who has served as executive director of the quasi-governmental agency since 2011, said his health factored into his decision to not seek reappointment in September.
by Rachel Ohm
June 27, 2024"Mills’ decision comes at a busy time for the turnpike authority, which is working on a controversial proposal for a 5-mile, more than $200 million toll road from South Portland to Gorham known as the #GorhamConnector, among other projects. The agency has faced strong resistance to the project, including from the family-owned #SmilingHillFarm in #GorhamMaine."
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #GorhamBypass #MTA #Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl
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Four FREAKING minutes! That's all the time saved by destroying #SmilingHillFarm and the #RedBrook watershed!!! And that was from Maine Turnpike Authority's owm study!!!
Residents continue to voice concern over Gorham Connector highway plan
June 25, 2024
"A traffic study by the MTA says when the new highway opens, the average driver in the surrounding area will save about 4 minutes off their commute."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/some-mainers-voice-concerns-over-gorham-connector-plan/ar-BB1oT454
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl -
I find it ironic that #GovernorJanetMills has declared June to be "#Maine #Dairy Month," when her brother #PeterMills is trying to destroy one of the last remaining dairies in #SouthernMaine, #SmilingHillFarm!
#GovernorMills Proclaims June as #MaineDairyMonth
May 30, 2024
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-proclaims-june-maine-dairy-month-2024-05-30
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHill #GorhamSpur
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl -
[Video + gift article] Plan to extend turnpike through #farmland gets slammed before first public meeting
The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority is hosting a public meeting Monday evening on the #GorhamConnector, its plan to build a 5-mile, 4-lane highway spur from the turnpike in #SouthPortlandMaine to the #GorhamBypass.
by Kelly Bouchard
March 25, 2024"Speakers at the press conference said the connector would worsen or simply relocate #TrafficCongestion and exacerbate #pollution and other #environmental problems.
"Warren Knight, one of six siblings involved in the farm, questioned whether the authority chose to build the connector through the farm because it was easier to cross and the cheapest alternative for a project expected to cost well over $200 million.
"'We don’t think that’s right or fair,' Knight said. 'Why should #OpenSpace and farmland be considered expendable?”
"Tuck O’Brien, a Portland resident and representative of Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit that works to preserve and restore fish habitat, said the connector would jeopardize the clean, cool headwaters of #RedBrook, a tributary to Clarks Pond in South Portland that is [one of the last] active habitats for #BrookTrout.
"Sadie Donnell, a #GorhamMaine resident, said the region’s traffic challenges present a 'huge opportunity' to expand public transportation and reduce the number of cars on the road, rather than move them from one road to another."
#SaveSmilingHill #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl
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A bunch of us showed up to #SaveSmilingHillFarm and #ProtectRedBrook!
#SaveSmilingHill #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest -
Understanding Wildlife Behavioral Responses to Traffic Noise and Light to Improve Mitigation Planning
Product Type: Policy Brief
Publication Date: June 09, 2020"As roads and other developed land uses proliferate, the resulting habitat fragmentation and loss of wildlife connectivity hinder animals’ ability to forage, establish new territories, and maintain genetic diversity. Wildlife crossing structures such as culverts and bridges theoretically can reduce these impacts by allowing species to effectively cross highways. However, previous research has shown that traffic presence and density can disrupt wildlife use of highway crossing structures, and that noise and light from human activities can affect animal behavior. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, Road Ecology Center measured traffic noise and light levels and placed motion- and heat-triggered cameras at 26 bridges and culverts along four interstate highways, 11 state highways and one major county road across California. The presence and behavior of animals at these highway crossing structures were compared to those detected at sites unaffected by roads to understand the effects of noise and light from a highway on wildlife behavior. This policy brief summarizes findings from that research and provides policy implications.
"Traffic moving on transportation corridors affects wildlife connectivity. Many wildlife species move across road surfaces, or through culverts and bridges, with varying levels of success depending on species, infrastructure and traffic levels. As roads and other developed land uses proliferate, the resulting habitat fragmentation and loss of wildlife connectivity hinder animals’ ability to forage, establish new territories, and maintain genetic diversity. Wildlife crossing structures such as culverts and bridges theoretically can reduce these impacts by allowing species to effectively cross highways. However, the physical roadway barrier may not be the only deterrent. Previous research has shown that traffic presence and density can disrupt wildlife use of highway crossing structures, and that noise and light from human activities can affect animal behavior."
#GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur #Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #RapidTransit -
I'm planning on submitting a summary of these studies as part of my arguments against the #GorhamConnector. I grew up near a 4-lane highway, and the vibrations and noise pollution were constant -- I hadn't realized how bad it was until I went back home a few years ago and camped in my old backyard -- and felt every speeding tractor trailer truck going by.
Evidence of the impact of noise pollution on biodiversity: a systematic map
By Romain Sordello, Ophélie Ratel, Frédérique Flamerie De Lachapelle, Clément Leger, Alexis Dambry & Sylvie Vanpeene
Environmental Evidence volume 9, Article number: 20 (2020)
"Ecological research now deals increasingly with the effects of #NoisePollution on #biodiversity. Indeed, many studies have shown the impacts of #AnthropogenicNoise and concluded that it is potentially a threat to the persistence of many species. The present work is a systematic map of the evidence of the impacts of all anthropogenic noises (industrial, urban, transportation, etc.) on biodiversity. This report describes the mapping process and the evidence base with summary figures and tables presenting the characteristics of the selected articles."
https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-020-00202-y
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur
#Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #RapidTransit -
Opinion: #GorhamConnector plan threatens river #Ecosystem, #HeritageTrout
Building a new road along the banks of #RedBrook will render barren a unique stretch of riparian #shoreline – with all the adverse consequences you might expect.
by C. Ian Stevenson
February 27, 2024"While proponents tout the toll-road Gorham Connector as promising to shorten commutes and relieve traffic pressure in #GreaterPortlandMaine, there has already been substantial pushback to the concept. Regardless of how much (or for how long) travel-based advantage the new roadway might bring, as proposed it will have pronounced, unambiguously negative effects to the area.
"Maine is known for its sense of place. Many components contribute to what makes the state unique and desirable. Among these is the built environment, such as the 13th-generation Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, which the proposed route threatens to erode, if not entirely extinguish, as an economically viable vestige of Maine’s once robust agricultural heritage. Others have amply sounded the alarm about this issue.
"But the route introduces other threats to the more naturalistic landscape. Starting at #SmilingHillFarm and running south-southeasterly to I-295 is a five-mile section of Red Brook that mostly nestles in #DenseForest. Between County Road and Running Hill Road, in particular, Red Brook occupies one of the few contiguous #undeveloped #Riverine stretches in #SouthernMaine. While unassuming in scale, Red Brook is nevertheless remarkable for supporting one of the last remaining native populations of #BrookTrout in this part of the state.
"The proposed road will immediately abut the river, sitting nearly on its banks, for as much as a mile south of the County Road Interchange. This will degrade habitat, destroying the trees whose overhanging foliage provides shade and cooling effects for these temperature-sensitive fish and creates shelter from predators. It will make barren riparian shoreline that supports the aquatic and terrestrial insects that provide the primary trout food sources. The road itself will also contribute oil, salt and other #runoff to the river, #polluting the water. As a result of these factors, this connector will likely #exterminate this population of brook trout.
"Why should we care about a small river and its brook trout? Although this is not the official state fish, the fishing community widely considers it the prize species to catch, with so-called wild populations assuming even more cherished status. Brook trout provide a link across generations and cultural traditions and belong to everyone. Human inhabitants of Maine – from the original #Wabanaki to European colonists to modern Americans – have been catching these 'native' fish for millennia. Other parts of Maine, especially further north and west, have healthy native brook trout fisheries, making Maine highly regarded nationally as a destination to catch them.
"The fact that Red Brook, in the heart of #GreaterPortland, belongs to this orbit is no small feat. Most of the area’s waterways have already succumbed to habitat loss, development, predatory introduced species, warming temperatures and increased flooding due to #ClimateChange. Red Brook provides an opportunity for future #Mainers who might not have access to brook trout streams further afield to enjoy this natural amenity. Even if you do not care about fishing, this road promises to annihilate a population of one of our state’s heritage species, as well as its scenic habitat that also contributes to #Maine’s sense of place.
"#PeterMills, the executive director of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority, claims his organization has 'gone to great lengths to minimize impacts to Red Brook,' but clearly it hasn’t gone far enough under the current proposal. There are yet solutions.
"Citizens can express concerns at a hearing planned for March or via the Maine Turnpike Authority’s online portal. If the connector is to be built, planners need to re-route to establish a buffer zone between the connector and river – even a few hundred feet would have a positive impact. While less ideal than a complete reworking of the route, this would at least retain the primary shoreline flora and fauna and allow for run-off infrastructure. And we could re-route the road to save Smiling Hill Farm at the same time. Or better yet, we could re-consider the whole project’s merit entirely."
MTA website (make your opinion known!):
https://www.maineturnpike.com/Projects/Planning/Gorham-Connector.aspx#WorkingFarms #Sprawl
#GorhamSpur #InducedDemand #GorhamConnector
#Wetlands #Meadows
#EnvironmentalImpact #Extinction #Ecosystem
#SaveSmilingHillFarm
#SaveTheWoods #SaveTheFarms #Maine #Wetlands #Woods #LessCars #MoreLightRail -
Editorial: Pump the brakes on Maine Turnpike spur
April 18, 2022
via #RestoreTheNorthWoods"#Maine is barreling down the road on a more than $200 million infrastructure investment that even its own backers agree is not enough to fix the current problem and could make things worse in the future. It’s the proposed #Gorham-#Westbrook connector, a five-mile toll road being developed by the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority. New roads lead to more driving. It’s called '#InducedDemand.' Traffic congestion in Westbrook, #Scarborough, #Standish and #Gorham is not just a highway problem. Though these towns are some of the fastest-growing in Maine, public transit is not viable because the population is so spread out. Without allowing for denser development and offering a real transit alternative, building a faster road from Gorham to Portland could simply drive the development further west. Until we know where we’re going, this project should slow down."
https://www.restore.org/maineenvironews/2022/4/18/editorial-pump-the-brakes-on-maine-turnpike-spur
#Development #Sprawl #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #GorhamSpur #LessCars #MoreLightRail #GorhamConnector #Maine