The city of Portland invites area residents and businesses to review the current draft plan and share thoughts on the Reimagining Franklin Street project this Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m., at the Portland Public Library at 5 Monument Square.
The four-lane arterial, which stretches from Commercial Street to Marginal Way and I-295, has been under consideration for renovation since 2015, when the city adopted a master plan for the area.
The street was widened in the 1960s, resulting in the demolition of close to 100 structures, and east-west through streets, including Lancaster, Oxford, Federal and Newbury streets, were dead-ended.
City planners are looking at a potential updated street design and land use plan for the heavily trafficked corridor, which factors in new zoning, while also improving safety, accessibility and connectivity for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Early proposals have envisioned removing the wide median, adding bike lanes and dedicated pedestrian walkways and creating a rotary at the intersection of Franklin and Commercial Streets.
Funding for the planning stage has come from a $2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities pilot program. That funding is being matched by the city and the Maine Department of Transportation, with each contributing $250,000.
WSP USA Inc., an engineering firm with U.S. headquarters in New York City, is leading the redesign.
This will be the third and final presentation on the project that the city has planned. Previous sessions and a tour of the area were held in April and June. Hundreds of individuals have given input both at those meetings and through an online survey.
There is more information, and a draft concept plan, on the Reimagining Franklin Street page on the city’s website.
