Scarborough Summerfest, held at the Clifford Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex off Municipal Drive in Scarborough, is shown in 2024. (Courtesy of Nicole Hall)

For the first time in nearly two decades, the town of Scarborough has completed a townwide transportation assessment.

Approved by the Town Council last month, the study identified 11 intersections and road segments that are undergoing improvements or will be improved soon. The study was guided by goals to expand transportation networks; prioritize safety in new and updated infrastructure; meet transportation demands in line with population growth; and encourage town connectivity.

TRAFFIC

As Scarborough’s population continues to grow, residents have expressed concerns about an influx of traffic and congestion.

The transportation assessment found that there are long left-turn lines at Payne Road and Gallery Boulevard, afternoon rush hour at Running Hill Road and Route 114 and morning traffic exacerbated by school-related density on Route 1 and Broadturn Road and Pine Point Road.

Town Engineer Angela Blanchette said that the town has begun implementing adaptive traffic signals along major corridors, beginning in the Dunstan area, to mitigate congestion. The technology adjusts the timing of the traffic lights to move vehicles through busy intersections more efficiently.

“The cars move together as one instead of having a few cars go and then the side street having a few cars go,” Blanchette said. It’s been implemented along Payne Road and Route 1, and in the next few weeks, it will be added to Gorham Road.

“We’re finding creative ways to move a higher number of cars,” she said. “What gets sacrificed is a delay on the side streets. It’s something that our residents are seeing more and more of.”

The assessment also identified road segments like the portion of Payne Road by Haigis Parkway that would benefit from more lanes to reduce congestion.

SAFETY

Road safety was a major focus of the report.

During the last two decades, the town has seen a slight rise in the number of crashes. Between 2021 and 2023, Scarborough had a total of 1,953 vehicle crashes, which resulted in five fatalities, 47 suspected serious injuries, 247 suspected minor injuries and 404 possible injuries.

Drawing upon Maine Department of Transportation crash data from 2013 to 2022, the report found that there were 24 reported bicycle crashes and 19 reported pedestrian-related crashes in Scarborough over the 10 year period, most of which occurred on Route 1, concentrated in Oak Hill and Dunstan.

When analyzing the crash data, the report identified 14 intersections and eight road segments as high crash locations, or a location where there is an abnormally high number of crashes relative to the traffic demands that are served.

“There are always intersections that are anticipated as a dangerous intersection that people share anecdotally,” Blanchette said. “Those shift and change over time, so it’s more about finding those more consistent ones.”

Out of these 22 locations, six were selected for corrective action:

• the intersection of U.S. Route 1 at Dunstan Avenue and Orchard Street
• the segment of U.S. Route 1 from Dunstan Avenue/Orchard Street to Broadturn Road
• the intersection of Payne Road and Cummings Road
• the intersection of Broadturn Road at Burnham Road
• the intersection of Broadturn Road at Holmes Road
• the intersection of Route 1 and Hannaford Drive

Already, the study is being put to work. On Aug. 12, the transportation department officially converted the intersection of Broadturn Road and Burnham road into an all-way stop. This fall, a traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Mussey Road and Payne Road and a traffic median at the intersection of Gorham Road and Payne Road.

The assessment also found that vehicle speeds in residential areas is a high safety concern, recommending that the town develop a traffic calming toolbox.

Tools include using raised elements, like speed bumps, intersection modifications through methods like curb extensions and lane narrowing and using signs to dissuade cut-throughs. The report recommended a number of traffic calming measures for high speed areas.

CONNECTIVITY

Blanchette, the town engineer, said that the findings of the report focused on complete streets — thinking of roadways as home to pedestrians, bicycles and motorists.

And the report identified a need to expand the multimodal transportation network within the town.

Residents expressed interest in the addition of sidewalks and bike lines to major throughways such as Pleasant Hill Road, Black Point Road, Gorham Road, Route 1, Fogg Road and Highland Avenue.

Related to these concerns, the report recommended a number of improvements to specific roads including the addition of extended bike lines on Gorham Road, a shared use path along Route 1 and bike paths on Spurwink Road.

Now, Scarborough has 38 miles of sidewalk for its 183 miles of road, with no sidewalks west of Payne Road.

The assessment recommended the addition of sidewalks along parts of Payne Road, Gorham Road and Route 1, all with the intention to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to access parts of town.