Transportation Planning

Gorrill Palmer completed the design and development of construction documents for transportation off-site improvements related to the redevelopment of Thompson’s Point, from a semi-vacant industrial site into a multi-modal, mixed-use center including event facilities, hotels, retail and office space. The project involved close coordination with numerous stakeholders including MaineDOT, City of Portland, Forefront Partners, Pan Am Railways, Concord Coach Lines and Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA).

The scope of work included reconstruction and widening of Thompson’s Point Road, widening of Exit 5A and 5B off-ramps from I-295 Southbound, construction of a multi-use path along Thompson’s Point Road with connections to the Fore River Parkway Path, sidewalk improvements on Sewall Street, Congress Street and Park Ave, modifications and pedestrian improvements to numerous signalized intersections, and traffic calming improvements in the Rosemont and Libbytown neighborhoods.

The design work included development of construction plans, technical specifications, project quantities and construction cost estimates. Work also included development of right-of-way plans for the Sewall Street portion of the project.

Client: MaineDOT

Services Provided:
• Traffic Analysis & Permitting
• Roadway Design
• Bicycle, Pedestrian & Transit Facilities Design
• Signal Design
• Lighting Design
• Traffic Calming Design
• Right of Way Services
• Stormwater Design

Gorrill Palmer completed the design and development of construction documents for a complete streets improvement project along Forest Avenue in Portland, Maine. The work included reconfiguration of the I-295 ramp intersections with Forest Avenue to improve safety and to provide better accommodations for all modes of traffic including bicycles and pedestrians. Adjustments to the roadway striping including narrowing of the travel lanes to accommodate wider shoulders for bicycles was incorporated into the project.

Multi-use paths separated from the roadway with grass esplanades were provided on both sides of the road for the 0.4 mile project limits. In addition to the multi-use paths, striped bicycle lanes with landscaping and pedestrian scale lighting was included in the project. ADA complaint curb ramps with crosswalks including rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) were proposed at the ramp crossings.

The design work included development of construction plans, specifications, quantities and cost estimates.

Client: MAINE DOT

Services Provided:
• Roadway & Intersection Design
• Bicycle Facility Design
• Pedestrian Facility Design
• Lighting Design
• Signing and Striping Design
• Drainage Design

This Rt. 1 Corridor Study was the last in a series of three that focused on the southern most portion of Rt. 1 in Yarmouth. Similar to other major routes through a busy community, this section of Rt. 1 had capacity, safety, pedestrian and bicycle challenges. Gorrill Palmer completed a full evaluation of the corridor, including land use forecasting, traffic modeling, access management review, and capacity and safety analysis. The result was a series of recommendations for short term, mid-range and long term mitigation to address identified deficiencies.

Client: Town of Yarmouth

Services Provided:
• Data collection
• Capacity analysis
• Safety analysis
• Access management evaluation
• Pedestrian and Bicycle
• Conceptual designs
• Identification of short and long term mitigation
• Opinions of cost

Route 112, or North Street / Buxton Road, is a major east-west corridor providing a connection from downtown Saco to the Buxton area. This roadway, while historically rural in nature, has experienced significant residential growth in the past few decades. Gorrill Palmer completed a Corridor Study to identify existing and potential future deficiencies. The study resulted in recommended mitigation. Since the completion of that study, the City has implemented many of the short term recommendations such as: increasing radii, constructing separate left and right turn lanes at key locations, constructing a slip lane and numerous restriping of areas. The purpose of this update was to reassess the corridor with the implemented improvements and current and future traffic volumes and update the recommendations.

Client: City of Saco

Services Provided:
• Data collection
• Capacity analysis
• Safety analysis
• Access management evaluation
• Pedestrian and Bicycle evaluation
• Signal Warrant analysis
• Conceptual designs
• Short term, long term, monitoring recommendations

Gorrill Palmer provided a traffic assessment and preliminary design services for improvements to the Spring Street Intersection project located in the heart of downtown Waterville. Located adjacent to Main Street, the Hathaway Creative Center and the Waterville-Winslow Bridge, this intersection serves as a gateway to the City, provides for a major connection to existing and future commercial development opportunities and has a history worth showcasing in a soon to be revitalized downtown.

Client: City of Waterville

Services Provided:
• Traffic Analysis
• Traffic Modeling
• Intersection Design
• Bicycle Facility Design
• Pedestrian Facility Design
• Cost Estimating
• Evaluation Matrix

The City, as part of its revitalization efforts, is stepping back to identify what in the downtown is working from a vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle perspective and what could be improved on. As part of that review and effort, the Gorrill Palmer team was contracted to collect data from numerous sources and fill in areas of missing data, create a computer model of the entire downtown roadway network, forecast additional traffic for unutilized or under utilized properties in the area and add them to the roadway network, determine levels of service for the intersections, complete a safety review and evaluation, design numerous alternatives to address multiple stakeholder (City, Colby College, Maine DOT) needs and desires and summarize and recommend a preferred alternative or sets of alternatives.

Client: City of Waterville

Services Provided:
• Traffic Analysis
• Safety Analysis
• Traffic Modeling
• Intersection Design
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Evaluation
• Cost Estimating
• Evaluation Matrix

The Cities of Biddeford and Saco, Maine have had success in revitalizing their Mill buildings which are prominent in their respective downtowns. With the continued redevelopment of these historic structures with mixed uses including manufacturing, retail, housing and student housing, the Cities realized the need to complete a comprehensive study of their infrastructure needs within the downtown as well as the need to development a realistic and equitable impact fee structure.)

The Cities if Biddeford and Saco jointly retained Gorrill Palmer to complete the study through the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee (PACTS).

Client: City of Biddeford and Saco

Services Provided:
• Planning Study
• Future Traffic Forecast
• Infrastructure Recommendations
• Conceptual Design
• Impact Fee Determination

Gorrill Palmer completed a comprehensive parking study for Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The purpose of the study was to evaluate parking supply and demand, to assess the adequacy of the current system and to make recommendations, as needed, to manage parking demand so the existing system functions efficiently and effectively into the future. Using the supply and demand inventories, we worked closely with the college to develop a Transportation and Parking Demand Management (TDM) Plan.

Client: Bates College

Services Provided:
• Parking Analysis
• Transportation and Parking Demand