#maineturnpikeauthority — Public Fediverse posts

So, I knew if the #AmazonWarehouse got approved (which just happened, but still needs #MDOT approval), then the #GorhamConnector would rise from the dead! Grrrrr.... And of course the #MaineLegislature could have KILLED the Connector, but they chickened out! More #PublicTransportation ( #LightRail )and #BikeFriendlyRoads !

#MDOT seeks opinions for study of traffic issues west of #PortlandME

The department will share information and seek public engagement about transportation challenges in #SouthPortlandME, #Scarborough, #WestbrookME and #GorhamME.

Madeleine Kaptein
Staff Writer

"The Maine Department of Transportation will host two public meetings next week as part of its Portland-West Study to identify and relieve traffic congestion in the region. The study, launched in May, is focused on transportation challenges in Gorham, Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook.

"A drop-in open house on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Shaw Gym at the Gorham Municipal Center and a virtual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. will include information about the study, introductions to the project team and opportunities for residents to share concerns and feedback, according to a news release from MDOT.

"The study is examining existing traffic congestion and traffic patterns, reviewing research on future travel demand and population growth, and evaluating possible changes to existing roadway capacity. Improved signal timing, expanded public transportation and added walking and bicycling connections are under consideration, according to the department’s website.

"The study comes in the aftermath of plans the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing rush-hour traffic in the commuter corridor along Routes 22 and 114.

"The 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 public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in Westbrook and other properties.

"An advisory committee of residents, business leaders, advocacy groups, transportation representatives and municipal officials has met bi-monthly since April to guide the study process, according to a news release from MDOT.

"The public input sessions will take place a week after the Gorham Planning Board approved Amazon’s proposed warehouse on 94 acres off Main Street (Route 25), which would see over 3,000 daily vehicle trips to and from the facility. Vehicles would travel 5 miles down Route 25 through Westbrook to the #MaineTurnpike, prompting public concern over worsening traffic.

"Amazon still needs a Department of Transportation permit to move forward with the facility."

Source:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/09/15/mdot-seeks-opinions-for-study-of-traffic-issues-west-of-portland/

Archived version:
https://archive.li/8ZWox

#MainePol #InducedSprawl #SouthernMaine #SaveSmilingHill #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #AlternativeTransportation #WildlifeCorridor #ConnectedGreenSpace #BrookTrout #EndangeredSpecies

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

For the past few years, I've had to dedicate time to fight STUPID SHIT here in #Maine. Two years ago, #PolandSpring / #BlueTriton / WhateverTheFuckThey'reCalledNow tried to double water extraction during a #Drought. Last year, #MaineTurnpikeAuthority wanted to put a highway through one of the last working farms in #GreaterPortlandMaine (#SmilingHillFarm). Now this year, #MDOT wants to build a replacement bridge over the #SacoRiver with NO PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALK! In an area with a library, an ice cream parlor, and hiking trails on both sides of the river! WTF is wrong with people! Well, #CorporateGreed is a big part of the problem. I'm sure MTA had the contractors salivating over the contracts they hoped to milk out of them!
#MainePolitics

#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

Workshop in #ScarboroughMaine Wednesday, September 18th

Community group opposing #GorhamConnector discusses alternatives

A coalition run by volunteers, #MainersForSmarterTransportation , held a community forum about the Gorham Connector, with all present opposing it.

"Offering alternatives to the connector, Gorham resident Tina Ruel talked about traveling this summer in Switzerland and France and riding aboard electric trams on tracks and buses. 'Building more roads and widening roads is no longer the answer,' Ruel said in a printed statement to the American Journal."

by Robert Lowell, September 12, 2024

"Opponents of the proposed #MaineTurnpike toll connector to Gorham spoke out last week in a community forum held in Westbrook.

"A grassroots coalition, Mainers for Smarter Transportation, organized the meeting. It has more than 11,000 signatures on a petition to halt the connector, according to its website m4st.org.

"#SmarterTransportation volunteer Myles Smith of Portland said the connector could cost upward of $400 to $500 million and quality of life suffers when new roads are constructed. '#Highways often lead to #sprawl, Smith said.

"Two ways to solve transportation problems, Paul Drinan, who is a member of Westbrook Recreation and #Conservation Commission, said, are #RapidTransit and active transportation such as #bicycling and #ElectricScooters.

The proposed 4.8-mile connector would link the Bernard Rines Bypass in Gorham to Turnpike Exit 45 in South Portland. It is aimed at easing bumper-to-bumper, rush-hour congestion in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor through #GorhamMaine, #ScarboroughMaine and #WestbrookMaine. The connector alignment would cut a 50-acre swath through historic #SmilingHillFarm.

"Retired Gorham tax assessor Mike D’Arcangelo said Maine is a tourist mecca and the state’s beauty needs protection. 'Are we going to put in a forever, four-lane highway?' he said.

"The Scarborough Town Council will discuss the Gorham connector in a workshop scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Scarborough Municipal Building, 259 Route 1."

Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/09/12/community-group-opposing-gorham-connector-discusses-alternatives/

Archive:
https://archive.md/CrtWs

#InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit #BikeLanes #MainersForSmarterTransportation #MaineTurnpikeAuthority

Grassroots group’s report sharply criticizes #GorhamConnector proposal

#MainersForSmarterTransportation recommends alternatives to the project as #ScarboroughMaine town councilors consider calling for changes to address growing public concerns.

September 5, 2024
by Kelley Bouchard

“Tyson and others say the connector proposal is based on stale #commuter data and obsolete #highway design goals in an attempt to shave an average of 4 minutes off morning and evening drive times. They question the design, cost, safety and need for the project, as well as its impact on the #environment, regional economy and overall quality of life in #SouthPortland, Scarborough, #WestbrookMaine, #GorhamMaine and beyond.

"#M4ST is a coalition of individuals, nonprofits and other groups seeking alternatives to highway expansion in #GreaterPortland. So far, over 12,000 Mainers have signed the group’s petition calling for a halt to planning the Gorham Connector.

"Coalition members include #GrowSmartMaine, #TroutUnlimited, #SierraClubMaine Chapter, #SmilingHillFarm, #MovingMaineNetwork, #PortlandBikePed Advisory Committee and Westbrook #SafeMobility and Access Committee.“

Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/09/05/gorham-connector-target-of-grassroots-groups-report/

Archive:
https://archive.md/axABu

#SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit #BikeLanes #MainersForSmarterTransportation #MaineTurnpikeAuthority

Coalition proposes alternatives to controversial #GorhamConnector project

Maine Public | By Nicole Ogrysko
Published September 6, 2024

"A coalition of #environmental, planning and #transportation groups is advocating for alternatives to the controversial Gorham Connector project.

"The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority has proposed a toll road that would run from Exit 45 in South Portland through Westbrook and and Scarborough to the #GorhamBypass at Route 114. Turnpike authorities have said the 4.8-mile, four-lane highway would significantly reduce traffic congestion [by a whole 10 minutes, according to MTA's own study!!!].

"But the coalition, known as #MainersForSmarterTransportation (#M4ST), is out with a report this week that details a long list of recommendations for reducing congestion in the region.

"'Simply replacing some of the existing traffic lights with #roundabouts would reduce congestion and reduce #GreenhouseGas emissions,' said #PaulDrinan, active transportation director for the #BicycleCoalitionOfMaine, which is part of Mainers for Smarter Transportation. 'We could also convert some of the old traffic lights with what they call smart lights.'

"Other recommendations include improving the shoulders along nearby roads and adding #BikeLanes. Drinan said the group is also urging the Turnpike Authority to delay the Connector project for at least two years, so that a #RapidBusTransit plan developed by the Greater Portland Council of Governments can take shape.

"The group also believes outdated and flawed traffic data are being used make the case for the project."

[Plus contracts and kickbacks from #PikeIndustries and other vendors]

https://www.mainepublic.org/business-and-economy/2024-09-06/coalition-proposes-alternatives-to-controversial-gorham-connector-project

#SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail

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

Hmmmm... I'm seeing a pattern here. #PeterMills and #MaineTurnpikeAuthority are looking to build a highway through forests and farms because it would be cheaper (but #LightRail would be even CHEAPER, but would involve less #contractors). Peter's sister #JanetMills wants to put an #OffshoreWindFarm on #SearsIsland because it would be cheaper than #MackPoint (which would involve cleaning up pollution -- the horror!)

[Article is behind a paywall -- full text in comments]

The unusual political alliance opposing an offshore wind port in #Maine

by Billy Kobin
December 4, 2023

"The 941-acre Sears Island, the largest undeveloped island in #PenobscotBay, is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is located off the coast of #Searsport, the Route 1 town of about 2,600 residents. The state owns the island, though #NativeAmericans who called it #Wassumkeag, or 'bright sand beach,' used it over thousands of years for camping, hunting, fishing and resting along paddling routes."

Source:
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/04/politics/unusual-political-alliance-opposing-offshore-wind-port-joam40zk0w/

#MainePolitics #Environment #Greenwashing #EnvironmentalRacism

@breadandcircuses Yeah, they are trying to build a 4-lane highway through a 300-year old farmstead -- through woods, disrupting the wildlife and farm animals, and more than likely causing the extinction of Brook Trout, which used to be abundant in Southern Maine.
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #GorhamSpur #MaineTurnpikeAuthority

[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."

https://www.pressherald.com/2024/03/25/plan-to-extend-turnpike-through-farmland-gets-slammed-before-first-public-meeting/?uuid=8b2a17c3-31d3-4227-bd05-14439d676b71&lid=10425

#SaveSmilingHill #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl

A bunch of us showed up to #SaveSmilingHillFarm and #ProtectRedBrook!
#SaveSmilingHill #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest

How #NoisePollution from humans is wreaking havoc on U.S. #wildlife

Nation Jul 18, 2017 2:20 PM EDT

"As transportation networks expand and urban areas grow, noise from sources such as vehicle engines is spreading into remote places. Human-caused noise has consequences for wildlife, entire #ecosystems and people. It reduces the ability to hear natural sounds, which can mean the difference between life and death for many animals, and degrade the calming effect that we feel when we spend time in wild places."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/noise-pollution-humans-wreaking-havoc-u-s-wildlife

#biodiversity #GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur #Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #AnthropogenicNoise

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."

https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/research-product/understanding-wildlife-behavioral-responses-traffic-noise-and-light-improve

#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

So, what's going on with the #GorhamSpur seems a lot like what happened with the #CMPCorridor (which #Mainers voted against). Despite public opposition, #MTA will say, "Oh, well we already bought most of the land, so we have to keep going!" The same tactic was used with the CMP corridor through the North Woods, when CMP said, "Well, we already started the project -- we plan on completing if, even if the public opposes it!"

#MainePolitics #Maine #JanetMills #PeterMills #Corporatocracy #Overreach #TheWillOfThePeople #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority
#Sprawl #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #Wetlands
#Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveTheNorthWoods

Have thoughts about the proposed #GorhamBypass? How you can make your voice heard

A public meeting is scheduled for March 25

GORHAM, Maine —"The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority wants to build a new toll road connecting the Turnpike to Gorham. The plan has sparked strong opinions both for and against since the route was announced in February.

"The first public meeting about the Gorham connector is scheduled for March 25 in the Shaw Gym at the Gorham Municipal Center on South Street. An open house is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., where people can look at displays and ask questions about the project. It will be hosted by area municipalities in partnership with the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Maine Department of Transportation.

"At 6 p.m., a brief presentation will provide an overview of the project, after which attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can watch online starting at 6 p.m."

https://www.wmtw.com/article/have-thoughts-about-proposed-gorham-bypass-public-meeting/60178615?fbclid=IwAR0ZtB89WNCpLO73BdWujTdwhcyjOSA95AcKz3ShRo6l2huU2KiIfyce-es

https://www.youtube.com/embed/aTKSuVJ1iAg?autoplay=1

#SaveSmilingHillFarm #Sprawl #SaveTheForest #Woodlands #Meadows #InducedDemand #EnvironmentalImpact #GorhamConnector #SaveRedBrook #RedBrook #GreaterPortlandMaine #LightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MTA #ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms #PeterMills #JanetMills

ICYMI - from 2019:

VERIFY: does Gov. #JanetMills' brother have ties to #CMPCorridor project?

NEWS CENTER #Maine verifies #PeterMills' involvement in the CMP corridor.

July 3, 2019

"In the last year, we have been bombarded with questions and concerns surrounding the #CMP transmission line project.

"Most recently, some of those concerns from you at home have shifted to Governor Janet Mills' support behind the project -- more specifically, if her brother, Peter Mills, has any ties to the corridor or if he has anything to gain from it.

"To verify these claims, NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with Peter Mills himself and referenced these public documents -- 'The Memorandum of Understanding between Central Maine Power Company and Western Mountains and Rivers Corporation'.

Here's what we found out.

"Mills does currently sit on the board of a charitable non-profit called Western Mountains and Rivers Corporation, an organization established back in 2017.

"He admits the non-profit has ties to CMP and the corridor project, but he says it's a very specific partnership.

"'The purpose of the corporation was to negotiate with #CentralMainePower and possibly #HydroQuebec to see to it that they would put together terms to mitigate in a public and charitable way, to mitigate for the impact of the power line if it were built.' says Mills. [I've seen this tactic before -- with #MaineTurnpikeAuthority donations to non-profits affected by #highway expansion]

"Public documents detail this agreement between the two entities, which includes CMP's requirement to provide $250,000 dollars to the non-profits trust fund; for start-up costs and other proceedings.

"It has been used to hire an #attorney to represent the interests of the #corporation in the #Legal proceedings before the #PUC and #LERK and the #DEP, and in negotiating for any mitigation terms including the creation of land rights of way in the #KennebecValley." says Mills."

Read more:

#MainePolitics #ClimateActivism #CorporateColonialism #CorporateFascism #Nepotism
#MaineTribes #Mining #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #NoCMPCorridor

Despite local opposition and a statewide vote, the #CMPCorridor through #Maine's #NorthWoods is getting pushed through! #PeterMills, head of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority and brother of #JanetMills, is on the board of a corporation involved in the project! Nothing to see here, eh? No wonder MTA has no problem destroying woods, streams and farmland here in southern #Maine!

#CMPCorridor Proposal: A Bad Deal for Maine

"In April 2023, a Cumberland County jury ruled in CMP’s favor during a court case that very likely will decide the future of the company’s controversial transmission corridor. The decision was based on technical legal issues and not on the merits of whether or not this was a good project for Maine.

"We are disappointed with the outcome and remain sharply focused on achieving a just and equitable clean energy future that works for all Mainers.

"Maine has already shown there’s a better path forward than the CMP corridor. A path focused on regional collaboration and centered in Maine’s pragmatic approach to solving problems.

"Mainers are pursuing home-grown clean energy sources, like the #KingPineWindProject in Aroostook County that will deliver new and verifiable reductions in pollution rather than a shell game that shifts existing energy for maximum profit.

"#MaineVoters got it right when they overwhelmingly passed a referendum rejecting the CMP corridor because it’s a bad deal for Maine and a bad deal for our climate.

"#NRCM is honored to stand with youth #ClimateJustice activists, tribes in Maine and Canada, people across western Maine who rely on a vibrant outdoor recreation economy, and many others in opposing the CMP corridor. Thank you to everyone who partnered with us on this hard-fought campaign."

Top 4 Reasons NRCM Opposes the Corridor:

- Won’t reduce climate-changing pollution, and may actually increase it.
- Cuts 53 miles of new transmission lines through undeveloped #forests in Maine’s #NorthWoods, harming brook trout, deer, other #wildlife, and the tourism economy.
- Jeopardizes the construction of new in-state #RenewableEnergy projects and creation of clean energy jobs.
- Generates billions of dollars of profit for CMP and #HydroQuebec while offering very little to Maine people and businesses.

Read more:
https://www.nrcm.org/programs/climate/proposed-cmp-transmission-line-bad-deal-maine/

#MainePolitics #ClimateActivism #CorporateColonialism #CorporateFascism #Nepotism #MaineTribes #Mining #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector

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."

Source:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/27/opinion-gorham-connector-plan-threatens-river-ecosystem-heritage-trout/

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

Some folks a lot older than myself are planning on #DirectAction to protect #SmilingHillFarm! One woman said she would chain herself to the bulldozers. I'll be right there with them!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHeYiD2rnsg

#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #Sprawl #LessCars #MoreLightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #ProtectFarmland #SaveTheForest #Maine #WorkingFarms
#MaineTurnpikeAuthority
#InducedDemand
#GorhamSpur
#GorhamConnector
#Wetlands
#Meadows
#EnvironmentalImpact

Smiling Hill Farms lets their dairy cows graze in pastures and sells milk in GLASS bottles, which they clean and #Reuse! Don't let this #Maine gem get destroyed!!!

#SmilingHillFarm : A Legacy Threatened by Progress

Smiling Hill Farm, a 500-acre Maine institution, faces an existential crisis as the proposed Gorham Connector threatens to disrupt its 13-generation legacy. The Knight family, who have nurtured this land for over three centuries, are now locked in a battle between progress and preservation.

by Shivani Chauhan
10 Feb 2024 04:06 EST

A Legacy at the Crossroads

"For thirteen generations, the Knight family has cultivated a bond with the land that transcends mere ownership. Smiling Hill Farm, their 500-acre expanse, is more than just a dairy farm. It's a testament to the enduring spirit of Maine's farming community, a sanctuary where lumber and maple syrup production thrive alongside #crosscountry #skiing trails.

"The farm's rich heritage is evident in its bountiful harvests, the laughter echoing from the ski trails, and the contentment of the dairy cows grazing in the fields. Yet, this harmonious coexistence now hangs in the balance as the Maine Turnpike Authority moves forward with plans for the Gorham Connector."

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/smiling-hill-farm-a-legacy-threatened-by-progress

#WorkingFarms #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveTheWoods #SaveTheFarms

Smiling Hill Farm could be a roadblock for preferred Gorham Connector route

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 9, 2024

The 500-acre, 13th-generation family operation in Westbrook wants to preserve the #farmland and forest it has cultivated and harvested since 1720, but some of its #woodland lies in the path of the Maine Turnpike Authority's proposed 4-lane highway. “Smiling Hill Farm has not agreed to sell any land to any entity,” Warren Knight said. “We’re not interested in making our farm smaller.”

https://www.restore.org/maineenvironews/2024/2/10/smiling-hill-farm-could-be-a-roadblock-for-preferred-gorham-connector-route

#GorhamSpur #GorhamConnector #Maine #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #WorkingFarms #Woods #Woodlands #EnvironmentalImpact #Wetlands #SaveSmilingHillFarm

#SmilingHillFarm could be a roadblock for preferred #GorhamConnector route

The 500-acre, 13th-generation family operation in Westbrook wants to preserve the farmland and forest it has cultivated and harvested since 1720, but some of its woodland lies in the path of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority's proposed 4-lane highway.

https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/10/smiling-hill-farm-could-be-a-roadblock-for-preferred-gorham-connector-route/

#Maine #Sprawl #WorkingFarms #Woods #SaveTheForest #SaveTheFarms #LightRail

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

What this article doesn't go into is where some of the gift cards came from -- #MTA contractors! (I know that, because I worked for a non-profit that received some of those cards as "prizes" for auctions).

Former state official given 3 1/2 years for stealing funds

Posted: April 07, 2012

"The former head of the #Maine Turnpike Authority was sentenced Friday to 3½ years in prison for misusing as much as $230,000 in agency funds, concluding what prosecutors have called one of the most egregious cases of public corruption in the state’s history."

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2012/04/06/news/former-maine-turnpike-chief-sentenced-to-3%C2%BD-years/

#MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Graft #Corruption #GorhamSpur #Cianbro #GorhamConnector

Well, this bites...! We'll see if #MaineTurnpikeAuthority has enough bribe money to influence the #environmental impact of this project (which will cut through wetlands, woods and fields, disrupting wildlife and endangered species)! No consideration for #LightRail at all!!! (Also, #MTA has a history of graft with contractors -- just look up #PaulViolette -- former MTA director who spent time in jail for graft)!

Proposed Regional Connector Road Between Gorham and Maine Turnpike Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 05, 2024

https://www.maineturnpike.com/News/Recent-News/Proposed-Regional-Connector-Road-Between-Gorham-an.aspx

#Maine #GorhamSpur #Sprawl #EnvironmentalImpact #Wetlands #Woods #LessCars #MoreLightRail #GorhamConnector #SmilingHillFarm #WorkingFarms #Woods #SaveTheWoods #SaveTheFarms