The Cape Elizabeth Town Council is petitioning the state Department of Transportation to lower speed limits and create safer pedestrian crossings on two roads.

The council voted 7-0 Monday night to ask the state to review whether to reduce speed limits and create crosswalks in the town center on Route 77 from Hill Way to Fowler Road, as well as on Shore Road at the South Portland line, specifically in front of the Ann Veronica women’s clothing store.

The council didn’t specify a desired speed limit for either of the locations. In the town center, the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour. The posted speed limit on Shore Road at the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth town line is 30 miles per hour.

Councilor Patricia Grennon said reducing the speed limit on Route 77 is part of an effort to meet the goals of the town center plan, which was adopted by the council in October 2014.

Councilors on Monday also voted unanimously to talk with South Portland officials regarding pedestrian safety on Shore Road at the Cape Elizabeth-South Portland line in the business district. Shore Road turns into Cottage Road at the South Portland line. Councilors agreed that a crosswalk might be better located on the South Portland side.

In the town center, Councilor Jessica Sullivan said she has witnessed several “near-miss” car accidents at the intersection of Route 77 and Scott Dyer Road due to the volume of drivers purchasing gas at Cumberland Farms.

“I am not buying my gas there anymore because I, myself, was almost hit twice,” Sullivan said.

In January, Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams compiled recent crash data from both areas of town, and on Monday, presented his findings regarding speed limits to the council.

Town center

In the town center, the request is a change in status from an arterial road to a lesser classification, or lower speed, and to “recast Route 77 in the town center as Cape Elizabeth’s Main Street,” Grennon said.

The committee tasked with developing the town center plan envisioned Cape Elizabeth’s Main Street “as one with increased pedestrian flow, with sidewalks lining the streets, building standards in our town that moves new construction closer to the road, and a town center green,” she added.

Crash data from the Department of Transportation from 2011 through 2013 and speed surveys conducted in January by the Cape Elizabeth Police Department found that of 589 vehicles clocked by radar on Route 77, the highest speed recorded was 47 miles per hour. The lowest speed was 21 miles per hour and the average speed was 31.52 miles per hour.

According to data, the intersection of Route 77, Shore and Scott Dyer roads by Cumberland Farms has been classified as a high-crash area, Williams said. The state has also identified the intersection of Route 77 and the Pond Cove shopping area as a high-crash location.

Eighteen car accidents were reported in both areas between 2011 and 2013, and a majority of them were property damage only, Williams said. The high-crash areas appear to be a result of “inattentive drivers and questionable turning movements,” he said.

It is likely the town center area will continue to grow, which means more vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Even now, Williams said, pedestrians are not using the marked pedestrian crossing to access Cumberland Farms from Scott Dyer Road.

Williams said he recommends that the department of transportation take a look at whether 35 miles per hour is appropriate for the town center and how the town might improve pedestrian safety in that area.

Shore Road

According to Grennon, for the past several months, the owner of Ann Veronica has asked the town to reduce the speed limit in the business district, as pedestrian traffic on the road continues to increase.

At the same time, drivers continue to speed through the area.

“It’s a narrow street that goes right past her store, and there is parking on both sides,” Grennon said.

Williams said he consulted with South Portland Police Chief Ed Googins recently and both agreed that reducing the speed limit on Shore Road at the South Portland line is not the solution to improving safety for drivers and pedestrians.

Crash data and speed surveys did not indicate an issue with speed in this area, said Williams. But because the roadway is too narrow to place pedestrian signs, he said, one recommendation is to restrict parking to one side of Shore Road, which would increase visibility for drivers. Another option is to determine the feasibility for reconstructing the crosswalk or relocating it to a safer location.

“The pedestrian crossing is in such a location that installing markings is nearly impossible,” said Williams.

In the last five years, the South Portland Police Department issued 12 summonses along the stretch of the road on the South Portland side between Sawyer Road and the Cape Elizabeth town line.

South Portland police in the last three years responded to four car accidents on Shore Road at Cliff Avenue, Williams said. Between 2011 and 2013, Cape Elizabeth police handled three car crashes at the Charles and Shore roads intersection.

“A speed survey was completed at the South Portland line by Cape Elizabeth in which 350 vehicles were clocked with radar,” he said. “The highest speed clocked of any vehicle through there was 37 miles per hour and the lowest speed was 19 miles per hour. The average speed of all those vehicles was 28.26 miles per hour.”

Williams said any change in speed limits could only occur after the council sends a letter to the department of transportation petitioning for a speed limit change. The department would then review the request and decide the speed limit to be implemented.

Shore Road at the Cape Elizabeth-South Portland line, shown here, will be the subject of future dialogue between Cape Elizabeth and South Portland officials regarding pedestrian safety. Courtesy photo