2023 Implementation Update

Based upon our public engagement in 2022 (see results below), we're continuing to refine bikeway designs, anticipating implementation this year. Plans are in the works to upgrade bike lanes on Deering Avenue and a section of Brighton Avenue and create new bike lanes on Bates and Veranda Streets.

Join Us May 24th for a Public Meeting - Post-Meeting Update Below

A key project slated for implementation as soon as late Summer 2023 is the Baxter Boulevard | Bates Street | Veranda Street Bikeway Project. This project would create better, safer bicycling and walking connections at and across Baxter Boulevard and Washington Avenue and provide bike lanes on Veranda Street. This bike infrastructure will connect to the new bike lanes on the north end of Veranda Street and to help extend an on-road link of the East Coast Greenway through Portland.

The project area extends from the Back Cove Trail/Baxter Boulevard along Bates Street and Veranda Street to Wordsworth Street.

At Baxter Boulevard, the draft plans reconfigure the travel lanes and shift the current crosswalk to the west. Southbound Bates Street traffic would go to a reconfigured 'T' intersection at Baxter Boulevard, creating a more standard urban intersection. The slip lane to Baxter Boulevard would be converted to a two-way separated bike lane that would extend to Washington Avenue. A new trail connection to Front Street would serve bicyclists and pedestrians to the Front Street neighborhood. All properties along Bates Street would retain similar access to that provided now. For Veranda Street, two general options have been considered: a two-way separated bike lane that would extend across Washington Avenue on the west side of the street and two one-way buffered bike lanes. These concepts are shown here.

To make room for bike lanes on Veranda Street, the project proposes to remove most of the on-street parking on the west side of Veranda Street (approximately 45 spaces) and retain most of the spaces on the east side (approximately 59 spaces). We recognize these changes would impact neighborhood residents and also some businesses especially in the busier early evening hours.

To learn more:

• View an overview of the project and a project history and timeline.
• See details on the MaineDOT Veranda Street Project.

Post-Meeting Update

Many thanks to the approximately 45 residents and business owners that attended the May 24th meeting. There was lots of good feedback about the design concepts presented and the recommendations. You can find the meeting notes and the presentation slides using the links below.

-- Meeting Notes
-- Presentation slides

Based on the feedback we received we're looking at the three main safety-related topics we received feedback about:

• the speeds of vehicles destined for I-295 northbound and exiting I-295 southbound at Exit 9
• addresssing the potential for conflicts with right-turning vehicles at the Washington Avenue intersection for bicyclists on Bates Street (going northbound) and Veranda Street (going soutbound)
• reassessing the option of a mid-block bicycle crossing on Bates Street for northbound bicyclists from the proposed two-way in-street bikeway instead of continuing to and crossing at the crosswalk across Bates Street at the Washington Avenue intersection.

Also based on feedback we've received at the meeting and afterward, we are conducting additional parking utilization counts to better gauge potential impacts on business-related parking during the mid-day, late afternoon and early evening hours.