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Updated: October 5, 2022

Gray looks at ways to reclaim its downtown from 6-way intersection

Courtesy / Town of Gray The town of Gray is looking at ways to reclaim its downtown from a network of highways and roads that converge there.
By Alexis Wells

The town of Gray is looking at ways to reconfigure its downtown to make it more pedestrian and bike friendly, and a more inviting "center for civic life."

Gray Town Council approved the use of $74,000 in tax increment financing funds to commission the Principle Group to lead a community design studio and charrette. The goal is to find ways to revitalize Gray Village, making it a center for civic life, with bicycle-pedestrian-friendly street corridors, public spaces and an attractive environment for new business and real estate investment.

The ideas were originally spelled out in Gray’s 2020 comprehensive plan. 

The TIF investment comes alongside a commitment from the Town Council to collaborate with the Maine Department of Transportation to enhance street designs for Yarmouth Road and Main Street, both of which are on schedule for maintenance in upcoming construction seasons.

“We are working on Municipal Partnership Initiative projects with MaineDOT that will add needed infrastructure and streetscape improvements, paid for in part by the town," said Gray Town Manager Nate Rudy.

The hope is that the town can collaborate with MaineDOT on any design changes. 

“The proposal balances MaineDOT’s goals to maintain these corridors as state transportation routes, including the need for some larger vehicle traffic, with the town’s goals of a vital economy and safe streets for Gray citizens," he added.

As the village area is now configured, the town says Yarmouth Road and Main Street are unsuitable for a growing community.

For now, Main Street has what the town calls unnecessarily wide driving lanes combined with narrow sidewalks. It lacks shade trees, outdoor seating and "pedestrian-oriented amenities."

The town hopes to limit driving lanes to a width of 11 feet, while adding on-street parking on the east side of Main Street. It says wider sidewalks could function as a shared sidewalk and bike path.  

Yarmouth Road has some of the same issues, but fast-moving traffic and a lack of sidewalk make it unsafe for pedestrians. As with Main Street, the town hopes to limit the width of the driving lanes to 11 feet, add sidewalks and adding a "planting strip" on both sides of the road.   
 

Courtesy / Town of Gray
A rendering shows how Gray might look if the roads are reconfigured.

 

To date, the town has invested close to $200,000 in the 2020 Comprehensive Plan and the 2022 Gray Village community design work. The cost of construction to implement the community’s design has yet to be determined.

According to Rudy, the Town will meet with the Maine Department of Transportation, Principle Group, and other advisors in the coming weeks to integrate road construction plans with street designs in anticipation of a final design and cost proposal and construction in future construction seasons.
 

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