In 2021, the City of Portland was awarded funding from PACTS for the Libbytown Safety & Accessibility Project, a design process that builds on the recommendations of the Libbytown Traffic Circulation & Streetscape Study. That study, completed in 2018, recommended converting the one-way sections of Park Avenue and Congress Street to two-way, with accompanying bicycle, pedestrian, and streetscape improvements to better the streets' safety and function for all users.

The Libbytown Safety & Accessibility Project will span multiple phases, including the Enhanced Project Scoping (EPS) that was completed in the Summer 2023 to refine the study concepts. The project is now in the Preliminary Design phase that will result in a 50% design but will ultimately progress through final engineering and design. Funding for final design and construction was awarded in March 2024.

February 2023 Public Meeting

In February 2023, the City of Portland, led by the Departments of Public Works and Planning and Urban Development, and MaineDOT shared concept plans for the project with the public. The concept plans show two-way traffic on Park Avenue and Congress Street and emphasize bicycle and pedestrian safety and connectivity. To find out more about the plans, explore the links below or view the meeting presentation here.

Concept Plan (February 2023)
Congress Street Detail & Section (February 2023)
Park Avenue Detail & Section (February 2023)

September 2023 Update

The Maine Department of Transportation in partnership with the City of Portland, submitted the Libbytown project for a federal grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law : the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant program (www.transportation.gov/grants/rcnprogram/about-rcp). Funding decisions are expected in early Spring 2024. In the meantime, the design plans are being updated based on the public input from February 2023 and additional engineering studies.

You can access the Reconnecting Communities grant submission here: www.maine.gov/mdot/grants/libbytown/.

March 2024

$22.4 million of federal funding was announced on March 11, 2024, awarded to the "Reconnecting Our Villages: Historic Libbytown Project" to design and construct the recommendations of the Libbytown Safety and Accessibility Project. See Congresswoman Pingree's announcement here: https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5174. Including the local match funding to be provided by the MaineDOT and the City of Portland, the project totals approximately $28 million.

Have questions or ideas? Contact Jeremiah Bartlett at jbartlett@portlandmaine.gov.

JOIN US FOR AN OCTOBER 2024 PUBLIC MEETING AND OPEN HOUSE

There will be an Open House and Formal Preliminary Public Meeting for the Libbytown Safety and Accessibility Project, on October 17th, 2024 in Room 24 at Portland City Hall. This project is also known as "Reconnecting Our Villages: Historic Libbytown Improvement Project", MaineDOT WIN-26055.00 through a federal grant.

The meeting will begin with an Open House from 5:00 pm-6:15 pm, followed by the formal Public Meeting to discuss the Preliminary Design from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at Portland City Hall in Room 24, which can be accessed from the Myrtle Street entrance.

The Project will implement modern safety standards and re-connect a community that strongly embraces active transportation but has not been able to adequately benefit from it. It represents the culmination of over 10 years of planning, design, and a $22.4 million Federal grant award (www.maine.gov/mdot/grants/libbytown/).

This project will:

• Reconstruct roadways and construct a roundabout by converting Park Avenue and Congress Streets to two-way traffic flow
• Improve geometrics on I-295, Exit 5 on and off ramp access
• Improve and replace sidewalks, as well as crosswalks
• Modify highway drainage
• Provide enhanced streetlight and sidewalk lighting, as well as upgrading traffic signals
• Provide paired stops serving for two-way transit service
• Add off-street two-way shared use paths and cycle tracks, and extend a multi-use path
• Add streetscape and landscaping elements
• Improve safety aspects for all street users and modernize infrastructure to meet ADA, MaineDOT and City standards

Room 24, aka, the Kippy Richardson Room, can be accessed via City Hall's Myrtle Street entrance.

For More Information about the meeting: Contact Ernest Martin at ernest.martin@maine.gov.