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Photo / Maureen Milliken
Augusta Mayor Dave Rollins, right, shakes hands with Augusta Police Sgt. Christian Behr, as Nick Hartley, deputy director of the city's public works department looks on during a news conference Monday about Augusta's new downtown traffic pattern.
Cars drove slowly south through the major downtown intersection of Bridge and Water streets Monday, many drivers tentative as they navigated a traffic pattern that no one has, at least legally, for 74 years.
The change to two-way traffic through the core of downtown became official Monday, in a move city, downtown development officials and some business owners say will help the ongoing revitalization of the neighborhood commercial area along the river.
At a brief news conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Dave Rollins said the change is the culmination of "a lot of anticipation, a lot of work," and "not without its controversy."
Those in favor of changing Water Street, downtown's main thoroughfare, from Winthrop to Bridge streets back to two-way after being one-way since 1945, said it will help businesses and economic development in numerous ways. But some business owners questioned that, citing parking and loading as concerns.
"People will adapt rapidly," Rollins predicted as he stood in sunny Market Square at the intersection of Winthop Street, where two-way traffic smoothly flowed behind him.
The 74-year traffic pattern forced southbound traffic on Water Street at Bridge Street to detour a block to parallel Commercial Street, which runs behind businesses. Southbound traffic came back out to Water Street at Winthrop Street, next to Market Square, at a small, but complicated intersection.
Extra signs and large arrows that guide drivers after they cross Bridge Street are part of the $200,000 project by Sargent Corp., of Old Town.
One-way traffic began on Water Street, at the time the city's shopping district, in 1945, when the bridge at Bridge Street was the only one over the Kennebec River in the 30-mile stretch between Gardiner and Waterville. Traffic backed up through downtown, impeding business, so it was a way to move it along.
Memorial Bridge was built in 1949, and diverts traffic, including U.S. Route 201 and several state routes, before it gets to downtown. In 2004, Route 3 was extended past north Augusta, and the Cushnoc Crossing bridge was built across the river, further diverting traffic from the interior of the city.
Rollins, Augusta Police Sgt. Christian Behr, and Nick Hartley, deputy director of the city's public works department, said at the news conference the biggest immediate issues are safety and awareness as drivers and pedestrians get used to a new traffic pattern. All said the first morning of two-way traffic had gone smoothly.
"So far we haven't had any issues," Hartley said.
After the news conference, Heather Pouliot, president of the Downtown Alliance board, said that the majority of business supported the change.
"People were speeding by before, or bypassing businesses," she said. "This is going to slow down traffic, and it's better for pedestrians."
Michael Hall, executive director of the alliance, echoed that, and said studies show that changing a one-way downtown to two ways reduces vacancies by 25%.
An inventory of a year ago of Water Street between Bridge and Winthrop streets shows 31 occupied storefronts and 14 that are vacant or not in use. While a few businesses have opened since then, including a coffee shop and a restaurant, downtown development officials say that the change will boost that.
"The biggest advantage to businesses is the visibility," Hall said. "More people are driving by."
He said the changes are also better for pedestrians — changes include curb cuts, enhanced crosswalks. "That means more people walking by businesses," he said.
Also a benefit to pedestrians, as well as those stopping and parking, is that two-way streets are found to be safer, including fewer pedestrian accidents and fender-benders, city officials said.
The move is also expected to help link the north end of Water Street to the rest of downtown.
"It felt like we were an island," said Dave Hopkins, owner of Merkaba Sol, at 153 Water St., just north of the Bridge Street intersection. While traffic there has always been two-way, the differentiation between the two downtown sections is established by the changed traffic pattern.
"This is different, it's going to be a change for us," he said.
The change comes at the end of Water Street is seeing more development, and Hall said the move should help boost that.
Eli Irland, owner of the Oak Table & Bar, 233 Water St., said he's taking a wait and see attitude.
His business, which opened earlier this year, is in the former one-way area. "It's going to be a problem as far as loading goes," he said. Several business owners in the formerly one-way stretch have had the same concerns.
Traditionally, trucks unloading goods have double-parked on Water Street and traffic more easily went around them in the second northbound lane. Now, with two-way traffic, that would cause backups. Two loading zones have been added to ease the problem.
A concern about loss of marking spaces was also addressed — once a $2 million upgrade to parallel Commercial Street is completed next year, the amount of spaces will be about the same.
"It's change, and it takes people a while to get used to change," Pouliot, of the Downtown Alliance said.
Hall agreed. "But it's a good change," he added.
Waterville is also making the change, part of a $9 million project that's more elaborate than Augusta's that is still in the planning stages. Other cities and towns, including Millinocket and Rockland, have also discussed it. Hall pointed to cities all over the country that are changing back to two-way downtowns as the business advantages become clearer.
"Who would have that that in the state of Maine, Augusta would lead the day?" he said Monday.
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