Franklin Street Committee

Franklin  Street  Study  Phase  II   Public  Advisory  Committee  Meeting     April  1,  2015   Room  24,  Portland  City  Hall     Committee  Members:  Markos  Miller,  Kevin  Donoghue,  co-­‐chairs;  Christian  MilNeil,  Jamie   Parker,  Jon  Graback,  Elizabeth  Hoglund,  Sally  Oldham,  Alex  Landry,  Bill  Hall,  Steve  Hewins,  Bob   Stevens,  Hank  Berg,  Chris  O’Neil,  Ethan  Boxer-­‐Macomber   Staff:  Mike  Bobinsky  and  Jeremiah  Bartlett,  City  of  Portland  Public  Services;  Alex  Jaegerman,   City  of  Portland  Planning  Department;  Darryl  Belz,  MaineDOT;  Carl  Eppich,  PACTS;  Catherine   Offenberg  and  Duncan  Allen,  IBI  Group;  Don  Ettinger  and  Randy  Dunton,  Gorrill-­‐Palmer;  Carol   Morris  and  Scott  Hastings,  Morris  Communications   The  meeting  started  at  6:04  pm.   Mike  Bobinsky,  Director  of  Public  Services  for  the  City  of  Portland,  opened  the  meeting.    He   thanked  the  Public  Advisory  Committee  (PAC)  for  their  hard  work  to  get  the  project  to  this   stage  and  their  flexibility  during  the  process.     Jeremiah  Bartlett,  Transportation  Systems  Engineer  for  the  City  of  Portland,  noted  that  he  had   been  working  on  Franklin  Street  since  his  early  consultant  days  in  2002  and  he  felt  it  was  very   exciting  to  see  how  far  the  project  had  come  during  that  time.     Carol  Morris,  Morris  Communications,  took  the  floor  and  reviewed  the  agenda  for  the  meeting.     She  asked  that  comments  be  kept  concise  so  that  everyone  would  have  time  to  speak.    She  also   noted  that  it  was  a  PAC  meeting  and  not  a  public  meeting  and  asked  any  members  of  the  public   to  either  make  comments  on  the  available  flip  charts,  or  come  talk  to  the  team  individually   after  the  meeting  if  they  had  input  they  would  like  to  give.     Markos  Miller,  co-­‐chair  of  the  PAC,  thanked  everyone  for  coming.    He  said  that  a  lot  of  work   had  gone  into  finding  a  solution  that  was  acceptable  to  everyone.    He  noted  that  there  are   compromises  and  it  would  not  be  the  perfect  road  for  any  one  person.    He  hoped  that  everyone   could  see  enough  elements  that  they  like  in  tonight’s  presented  version  so  that  they  would  be   able  to  support  it  moving  forward.     Cathy  Offenberg,  IBI  Group,  took  the  floor  and  began  the  presentation  of  the  final   recommendations.  There  were  six  key  themes:  Reconnections,  Streetscapes,  Bike/Ped,   Gateways,  Restoring  Lincoln  Park,  and  Nodal  Development.    The  road  design  had  to  work  with   traffic  capacity  needs,  including  agreements  with  the  MaineDOT  and  the  Federal  Highway   Authority  (FHWA)  in  regards  to  Interstate  295  off-­‐ramp  traffic  and  vehicle  Level  of  Service.    A   graphic  was  shown  to  illustrate  that  traffic  volumes  were  highest  at  Marginal  Way  and   continuously  and  significantly  decreased  as  one  progressed  along  the  corridor  towards   Commercial  Street.    The  consulting  team  felt  that  the  proposal  did  a  good  job  of  balancing  the   different  modes  of  travel.     Carol  asked  for  any  questions  about  the  overall  plan  before  the  presentation  moved  on  to  four   specific  focus  areas  along  the  corridor.     Markos  asked  if  the  plan  met  the  minimum  MaineDOT  and  FHWA  requirement  for  no  decreases   in  vehicle  level  of  service  or  if  there  were  improvements  in  level  of  service.       Cathy  responded  that  in  some  areas  the  recommendations  are  projected  to  improve  on  the   vehicle  level  of  service  and  noted  that  the  overall  travel  time  is  also  lowered  under  the   proposal.   A  committee  member  commented  that  they  had  been  surprised  but  pleased  to  see  that  despite   a  lowered  speed  limit,  the  travel  time  for  driving  the  length  of  Franklin  Street  had  actually  gone   down.   Cathy  moved  on  to  look  at  areas  of  the  corridor  in  more  detail  starting  with  the  intersection  of   Franklin  and  Commercial.    The  team  is  proposing  a  single-­‐lane  roundabout  for  this  intersection.     They  found  that  it  best  served  the  needs  of  the  intersection,  including  the  traffic  volumes  and   large  numbers  of  summer  pedestrians.    It  also  allowed  for  a  visual  and  physical  gateway  and   opened  up  room  for  improved  sidewalk  facilities.    Cyclists  would  have  their  choice  of  operating   as  vehicles  through  the  intersection  or  using  a  bike  path  alongside  the  pedestrians.  It  was  also   noted  that  there  would  be  more  parking  spaces  along  Franklin  than  discussed  at  the  previous   PAC  meeting.  Two  quick  animated  clips  were  shown  to  demonstrate  how  the  roundabout  could   safely  and  efficiently  handle  vehicles  and  pedestrians.     A  committee  member  said  that  they  liked  the  roundabout  from  a  vehicular  standpoint  but  were   worried  about  pedestrians.    In  particular  they  were  concerned  that  when  a  ferry  or  cruise  ship   docks  at  the  pier  large  volumes  of  pedestrians  are  let  out  at  once  and  that  may  overload  the   intersection.     Cathy  responded  that  roundabouts  are  useful  in  handling  low  volume  vehicle  conditions  as  they   allow  for  constant  flow  rather  than  one  mode  stopping  for  the  other.  She  explained  that  this   reduces  vehicle  delay  and,  from  the  standpoint  of  pedestrian  safety,  roundabouts  have  traffic   calming  effects  by  reducing  vehicle  speed.   Jeremiah  added  that  even  in  a  standard  intersection,  turning  motions  mean  that  there  would   always  be  pedestrian  conflict  points.    Roundabouts  keep  both  pedestrians  and  motorists   focused  on  one  conflict  at  a  time.    The  slow  design  speed  also  helps  to  make  sure  that  people   are  moving  slowly  and  are  prepared  for  the  intersection.      The  team  has  been  in  contact  with   the  city's  waterfront  coordinator,  Bill  Needelman,  who  is  very  aware  of  the  challenges  here  and   believes  the  roundabout  concept  has  the  most  potential  for  handling  these  conflicts.  Bill  is   encouraging  further  review  with  cruise  ship  operations  folks  as  the  team  works  through  the   details  of  final  design.     A  committee  member  noted  that  it  was  not  just  the  safety  impacts  of  the  large  volumes  of   pedestrians  but  also  the  potential  for  traffic  backups.     Jeremiah  replied  that  backups  would  be  a  concern  in  any  type  of  intersection  given  the  volumes   in  question.     A  committee  member  noted  that  they  had  originally  been  very  skeptical  of  a  roundabout  but   had  completely  come  around  to  the  idea.    They  felt  that  not  only  would  it  function  but  that  it   would  greatly  improve  the  look  and  feel  of  the  area.     There  was  some  discussion  clarifying  what  the  bike  facilities  would  be  in  the  roundabout.     Green  areas  on  the  map  around  three  sides  of  the  roundabout  indicate  portions  of  the  sidewalk   (separated  from  the  travel  lane  by  a  curb)  that  would  be  a  designated  bike  lane  striped   separately  from  the  pedestrian  area.    Commercial  Street  itself  would  not  have  bike  lanes  but   could  have  sharrows  (Share  the  Road  striping)  if  the  city  were  so  inclined.     A  committee  member  asked  if  the  crosswalks  could  be  moved  in  toward  the  roundabout.     Jeremiah  responded  that  the  crosswalks  were  set  back  one  car  length  from  the  merge  into  the   roundabout  to  allow  motorists  to  focus  on  one  conflict  point  at  a  time.     A  committee  member  said  they  felt  that  the  lanes  exiting  the  roundabout  could  be  narrowed   somewhat.    They  also  felt  that  the  bike  lanes  on  the  sidewalk  around  the  roundabout  could  lead   to  conflicts  at  the  crosswalks.    Cathy  pointed  out  that  the  traffic  speed  through  the  roundabout   would  be  slow  enough  that  even  less  confident  riders  could  navigate  it  in  the  road.     Don  Ettinger,  Gorrill  Palmer,  noted  that  this  was  a  conceptual  plan  of  a  single-­‐lane  roundabout   and  that  many  of  the  details  being  discussed  would  be  ironed  out  in  the  design  phase.     There  was  some  discussion  further  explaining  how  the  bike  facilities  worked.    It  was  noted  that   the  one  corner  without  the  bike  path  did  not  have  them  due  to  space  constraints.  In  the  design   phase,  it  might  be  possible  to  shift  the  intersection  to  fix  this.   Cathy  moved  on  to  present  the  section  covering  Lincoln  Park  and  the  reconnection  of  Federal   Street.    Lincoln  Park  was  proposed  to  be  expanded  between  62  to  78  feet.    This  would  bring  the   park  to  91%  of  its  original  size,  restoring  65%  of  the  area  lost.   Federal  Street  would  have  a  full  reconnection.      There  would  be  no  crosswalk  on  the  north  side   of  Federal  Street  due  to  safety  issues  with  turning  vehicles.    The  sidewalk  between  the  park  and   Federal  Street  would  be  expanded  to  facilitate  use.    A  development  lot  would  be  opened  up   between  the  courthouse  and  Franklin  Street.     A  committee  member  asked  if  it  would  make  sense  to  widen  Franklin  on  the  north  side  of   Federal  slightly  to  have  a  full  two  lanes  coming  out  of  the  intersection.       Don  Ettinger  said  that  because  there  was  only  one  lane  going  into  the  intersection  from  the   south,  the  new  configuration  should  work  fine.     A  committee  member  said  that  they  found  many  issues  with  the  Federal  Street  intersection  and   hoped  that  it  could  be  looked  at  more  closely  in  the  design  phase.    They  very  much  wanted  to   see  the  crosswalk  on  the  north  side  of  Federal  and  felt  that  people  would  cross  there  whether   there  was  a  crosswalk  or  not.    They  also  felt  that  the  crosswalks  should  be  closer  to  the   intersection  than  shown.    That  said,  they  noted  they  were  very  happy  to  see  a  full  reconnection   of  Federal  Street.     A  second  committee  member  agreed  that  the  intersection  needs  all  four  crosswalks,  saying  that   they  could  not  accept  the  idea  that  fewer  crosswalks  would  make  things  safer.     Councilor  Kevin  Donoghue  also  was  in  favor  of  having  all  four  crosswalks.    He  noted  that  the   internal  paths  in  the  park  would  bring  people  to  that  corner  and  they  would  then  want  to  cross   the  street.       Markos  Miller  said  that  he  had  previously  mentioned  to  the  consultant  team  that  the  crosswalk   in  question  was  desirable.    He  was  confident  that  the  team  would  look  at  it  much  more  closely   in  the  design  phase.     Three  additional  committee  members  also  voiced  opinions  in  favor  of  the  missing  crosswalk.     Cathy  then  moved  on  to  look  at  the  area  surrounding  the  proposed  reconnection  of  Oxford   Street.    Oxford  Street  would  be  right-­‐in  right-­‐out  on  both  sides  of  Franklin  and  parallel  bike  and   pedestrian  crosswalks  would  allow  bicyclists  and  pedestrians  to  cross.    A  short  separated  cycle   track  would  lead  from  Boyd  Street  to  the  bike  crossing.    Lancaster  Street  would  not  have  any   through  connection.     A  committee  member  said  that  they  were  very  glad  to  see  this  connection  [at  Oxford  Street].     Councilor  Donoghue  agreed  and  added  that  if  there  was  to  only  be  a  crosswalk  on  one  side,  the   team  had  picked  the  better  side.       A  committee  member  said  that  Oxford  was  an  important  connection  to  make  because  the  road   runs  the  full  length  of  the  peninsula.    They  were  opposed  to  the  short  bit  of  cycle  track  feeling   that  it  was  unnecessary  and  at  odds  with  how  bikes  would  use  the  surrounding  streets.    They   then  asked  what  the  lane  widths  of  Oxford  Street  would  be  and  what  the  design  speed  of   Franklin  Street  would  be.     Cathy  responded  that  that  they  would  be  10-­‐foot  lanes.   Carol  added  that  the  design  speed  was  proposed  to  be  25  mph.    This  would  need  approval  from   MaineDOT  but  in  preliminary  talks  they  had  shown  openness  to  looking  at  the  change.     Don  Ettinger  added  that  the  posted  speed  would  have  to  work  with  the  design  speed.   Councilor  Donoghue  said  that  he  liked  the  proposed  bike  lanes  on  Franklin  but  was  concerned   with  how  they  would  work  with  the  hoped-­‐for  bus  service.     Randy  Dunton,  Gorrill  Palmer,  replied  that  there  were  many  options  as  to  how  that  could  be   handled  in  the  design  phase.    In  many  cities  buses  do  cross  into  bike  lanes  at  stops.    It  is   possible  to  design  to  avoid  this  but  they  would  significantly  add  to  the  width  of  the  corridor  and   were  generally  only  warranted  in  areas  of  high  bus  traffic.     Carol  added  that  the  team  had  been  in  communication  with  METRO  and  that  they  would  be   included  when  this  was  looked  at  in  the  design  phase.     Don  Ettinger  noted  that  the  bike  lanes  and  the  buffer  were  8  feet  together  and  that  this  was   about  the  width  of  a  bus.   A  committee  member  noted  that  on  North  Deering  Street  there  was  bus  service  and  a  buffered   bike  lane  and  it  worked  quite  well.    They  were  more  comfortable  dealing  with  bus  drivers  who   drive  for  a  living  than  with  general  traffic.    He  went  on  to  add  that  the  Portland  Housing   Authority  had  plans  for  a  building  at  Lancaster  Street  and  that  there  should  be  a  crossing  there   to  accommodate  the  existing  residents  and  the  potential  for  this  future  building.     A  committee  member  said  that  there  were  happy  to  see  the  road  pushed  east  in  this  section.     They  would  like  to  see  buildings  built  up  to  the  existing  height  limits  for  the  area.    They  also   liked  seeing  the  connection  of  Wilmot  Street  between  Congress  and  Cumberland.      They   reiterated  that  crosswalks  should  be  moved  closer  to  the  intersections  and  pointed  out  the   crosswalk  on  the  south  side  of  Cumberland  Street  was  practically  a  mid-­‐block  crossing.    They   also  felt  that  Lancaster  Street  should  have  a  bike/ped  crossing  and  disagreed  with  the   consultant’s  earlier  statement  that  drivers  would  not  respect  two  mid-­‐block  crossings  in  this   stretch  of  road.     A  committee  member  stated  that  as  a  commuter  they  felt  that  too  many  crossings  would  be  a   problem  for  traffic  flow  and  that  they  felt  the  presented  option  was  a  good  compromise.     Markos  stated  that  he  also  would  like  to  see  a  crossing  at  Lancaster  and  that  he  did  not  like  the   cycle  track  at  Oxford.    He  asked  why  this  stretch  of  Franklin  Street  had  a  median  throughout.     Cathy  responded  that  the  median  was  reserving  space  for  an  eventual  left  turn  lane  at  Oxford   Street  so  that  the  design  would  not  preclude  a  full  reconnection  there.     Jeremiah  added  that  it  also  allowed  for  a  pedestrian  refuge  should  a  Lancaster  pedestrian   crossing  be  added.     Markos  also  noted  that  he  would  like  to  see  buildings  along  this  stretch  and  did  not  like  seeing   road  set  aside  for  storm  water  usage  instead.       A  committee  member  noted  that  they  would  be  asked  to  show  support  for  this  proposal  and  if   there  was  any  provision  to  reflect  the  tweaks  the  committee  wished  to  see.     Carol  responded  that  the  team  was  keeping  track  of  the  points  being  raised  and  would  be  trying   to  address  them  before  the  report  became  final.  If  not  addressed,  they  would  be  clearly   identified  in  the  final  report,  along  with  an  explanation.  She  added  that  each  member  would   have  the  opportunity  to  state  their  position  later  in  the  meeting  and  should  note  if  any   particular  point  would  be  a  deal  breaker  rather  than  a  nice  thing  to  have.     A  committee  member  said  that  while  this  wasn't  a  perfect  solution  and  a  lot  of  people  were  not   necessarily  here  to  voice  their  views,  they  would  be  voting  in  favor  of  this  plan.    It  was  a  good   compromise  and  represented  good  work.    Details  could  be  worked  out  later.     Cathy  moved  on  to  present  recommendations  for  the  Marginal  Way  end  of  the  street.    The   intersection  treatment  was  changed  from  the  previous  PAC  meeting,  and  she  hoped  that  they   would  agree  it  was  for  the  better.    The  plan  also  showed  much  more  of  the  place  making   elements  they  were  recommending.    The  team  envisions  making  this  a  gateway  entrance  to  the   city.     A  committee  member  felt  that  it  was  a  mistake  to  make  westbound  Marginal  Way  traffic's  only   option  to  be  getting  onto  I-­‐295.    The  Bayside  neighborhood  is  developing  quickly  and  this  would   be  a  restriction,  one  that  would  only  be  needed  at  peak  traffic  times.    It  would  also  significantly   complicate  things  for  bicyclists.     A  representative  of  Portland  Trails  said  that  they  were  very  happy  with  the  improved  crossing   and  felt  that  it  would  better  serve  the  Bayside  Trail.    The  wide  crosswalk  shortened  the  crossing   distance  and  gave  more  room  for  a  mix  of  bike  and  pedestrian  users.    They  appreciated  the   work  that  had  been  done.     A  committee  member  asked  if  it  was  beyond  the  scope  of  the  project  to  consider  moving  the   northbound  off  ramp  to  change  the  turning  restrictions.   Randy  Dunton  replied  that  the  team  had  looked  at  a  number  of  different  options  for  the  off   ramp  but  did  not  find  any  that  were  feasible.    In  particular  having  a  "u-­‐turn"  lane  to  Marginal   did  not  allow  space  for  trucks  to  make  the  turn.     Councilor  Donoghue  said  that  he  was  impressed  with  how  the  crossing  had  been  moved  closer   to  the  Bayside  Trail  and  in  this  configuration  he  could  even  maybe  see  using  the  trail.    However   he  still  felt  that  Marginal  Way  itself  was  a  better  bike  route  and  although  he  would  accept  this   compromise,  he  felt  a  two-­‐way  cycle  track  on  the  south  side  of  Marginal  was  required  to  make   up  for  the  blocked  westbound  lane.     Markos  said  that  a  lot  had  been  gained  here  and  that  the  outcome  could  have  been  a  lot  worse.     He  was  also  concerned  about  restricting  westbound  Marginal  Way  traffic.    He  felt  this  was  the   best  option  though,  as  all  other  options  involved  adding  more  lanes  and  that  this  was  more   reversible.   Another  committee  member  agreed  that  they  supported  this  as  an  improvement  over  the  past   options  but  that  they  were  not  100%  happy  with  it.         At  this  point  Carol  asked  PAC  members  to  give  their  opinions  and  comments  on  the  plan.    She   asked  that  each  person  say  if  they  supported  the  overall  plan  and  if  they  had  any  elements  that   if  they  went  unfixed  it  would  result  in  their  withholding  or  revoking  support.     The  first  committee  member  said  that  it  had  been  an  interesting  process  being  a  part  of  the   PAC.    He  was  a  little  worried  about  the  narrowing  of  Franklin  at  the  Commercial  Street  end  and   felt  the  growth  assumptions  were  too  conservative.    He  did  like  the  roundabout  there  and  felt   that  it  would  help  to  accommodate  the  extra  growth.    Overall  he  felt  the  plan  was  a  good   compromise  and  supported  it.   The  next  committee  member  said  that  she  used  Franklin  frequently  as  an  off-­‐peninsula   resident.    In  talking  to  other  off-­‐peninsula  people  about  Franklin,  the  most  common  response   was  "What's  wrong  with  it?”    But  they  felt  that  while  the  road  served  the  purpose  it  was  built   for,  it  might  be  time  for  a  new  purpose.    She  liked  leaving  the  crossing  at  Lancaster  off  the   proposal  for  now  but  retaining  the  option  to  connect  there  in  the  future.    The  proposal  was  not   everything  she  wanted  but  was  a  good  compromise  and  she  would  support  it.     The  third  committee  member  said  that  he  was  good  with  the  proposal,  though  he  was   concerned  about  the  roundabout  handling  high-­‐volume  pedestrian  events.   The  next  committee  member  was  comfortable  with  the  plan  as  a  whole  and  felt  that  it  struck  a   good  balance  between  peninsula  residents  and  those  driving  in.    In  general  he  was  content  with   everything,  even  the  Marginal  Way  intersection,  though  they  would  like  to  see  the  westbound   Marginal  way  movement  unrestricted.    He  understood  why  it  was  restricted,  however,  and   agreed  that  there  did  not  seem  to  be  a  better  solution  at  this  time.     The  fifth  committee  member  agreed  with  much  that  had  been  said.    It  had  been  a  long  process   and  a  lot  of  work  had  been  done  to  include  as  many  people  as  possible  over  the  years.    He  felt   that  the  design  presented  reflected  all  of  the  concerns  he  had  heard.    Although  there  were  still   some  minor  issues,  he  was  confident  they  could  be  worked  out  in  the  design  phase.    He  wanted   to  see  pedestrian  crossings  on  the  north  side  of  Federal  Street  and  at  Lancaster  Street.     Jeremiah  was  excited  about  the  proposal.    The  city  had  long  been  trying  to  find  ways  to  connect   across  Franklin  and  this  would  let  that  happen.    There  were  still  discussions  to  be  held  but  he   felt  that  they  had  a  good  relationship  with  all  parties  including  MaineDOT  and  felt  that  all  issues   could  be  addressed.       Markos  said  that  he  looked  forward  to  supporting  this  plan.    It  was  not  his  dream  road  but  he   felt  it  was  a  good  compromise.    He  liked  the  crossing  at  Marginal  Way  and  the  fact  the   intersection  would  not  be  widened.    The  plan  would  allow  for  more  bike/ped  crossings  and  for   more  development.    He  felt  that  MaineDOT  had  been  cooperative  and  that  they  would  be  a   good  partner  going  forward.    Everyone  involved  had  been  working  on  this  very  hard  and  it   showed.     Councilor  Donoghue  thought  the  process  has  been  good  over  the  long  history  of  the  project   and  it  has  had  far-­‐reaching  impacts  that  improved  the  city's  processes  across  the  board.    A  lot   of  good  things  have  come  together  all  at  once  to  create  this  plan.    He  would  now  be  looking   toward  how  the  project  will  be  funded.  He  felt  the  biggest  thing  to  work  on  was  making  sure   the  Federal  Street  connection  happened  in  the  best  way  it  could.   A  representative  of  Portland  Landmarks  said  that  she  felt  the  process  had  been  a  good  one  and   that  they  had  enjoyed  being  a  part  of  it.    She  appreciated  Markos'  leadership  and  everyone's   commitment  to  working  together  and  learning.    She  loved  the  Lincoln  Park  expansion.    The  Park   and  the  Federal  Street  reconnection  were  the  biggest  issues  for  Portland  Landmarks  and  they   are  happy  to  see  them  both  included.    She  also  liked  the  25  mph  design  speed.     The  next  committee  member  felt  that  the  plan  looked  great.    He  was  very  happy  with  the   Marginal  Way  intersection  compared  to  what  had  originally  been  presented.    The  biggest   complaint  for  him,  as  a  representative  of  East  Bayside,  was  the  lack  of  crossing  at  Lancaster   Street.     The  next  committee  member  said  that  he  supports  the  plan  that  was  presented  and  felt  that  it   would  be  a  large  gain  on  what  exists.    He  was  disappointed  about  the  lack  of  crossing  at   Lancaster  Street.    He  was  surprised  at  just  how  much  he  liked  the  crossing  treatment  at   Marginal  Way  and  felt  that  was  a  big  boost  to  their  support.    Pedestrian  concerns  were  a  big   issue  given  how  many  people  that  live  in  the  area  rely  on  walking  to  get  around.       The  twelfth  committee  member  said  he  agreed  with  much  that  had  been  said  and  that  he   supported  the  proposal.    He  appreciated  the  efforts  of  city  staff,  the  consulting  team,  and   Markos  in  making  this  happen.    The  issues  that  still  existed  could  be  addressed  in  the  design   phase  before  anything  was  actually  slated  to  be  built.    The  new  road  would  be  something  to  be   proud  of  and  would  be  more  balanced  between  modes.    The  most  serious  concern  left  was  the   design  and  placement  of  crosswalks  at  intersections.     The  next  committee  member  agreed  that  the  end  result  was  something  to  be  proud  of  even  if   there  were  still  some  things  to  be  worked  out.  He  is  a  Peaks  Island  resident  and  noted  that  the   islanders  had  been  very  skeptical  of  a  roundabout  at  Commercial  but  he  felt  that  some  were   coming  around  to  it.    As  a  long  time  bike  commuter,  he  was  in  favor  of  the  roundabout  and  felt   it  could  be  navigated  on  a  bike  in  the  travel  lane  easily.    He  felt  that  the  expanded  crosswalk  at   the  Marginal  Way  intersection  was  a  huge  improvement,  but  was  still  concerned  about  the   restricted  movement  from  Marginal  Way  west  bound.     A  representative  of  the  Portland  Chamber  of  Commerce  said  that  the  chamber  had  originally   been  primarily  concerned  with  making  sure  that  car  and  truck  traffic  was  not  impeded  by  any   changes.    Through  the  process,  he  had  learned  and  been  able  to  convince  others  that  it  was  not   that  black  and  white.    He  felt  there  were  some  big  positives  to  the  plan,  such  as  tearing  down   the  "wall"  of  Franklin  with  improved  connections  and  better  use  of  real  estate.    It  would  also   greatly  improve  the  ambiance  of  the  area  and  in  doing  so  improve  the  whole  peninsula.  He  felt   the  level  of  bike/ped  service  was  appropriate  and  that  the  shared  space  concepts  seen  at   Commercial  would  gradually  be  expanded  along  the  corridor  as  people  got  used  to  it.  He  also   liked  the  roundabout  and  felt  it  was  a  robust  solution  that  would  be  able  to  handle  additional   traffic  volumes  if  needed.    They  were  concerned  about  the  restricted  movement  at  Marginal   Way.    He  also  would  have  liked  to  see  the  land  next  to  Lincoln  Park  used  for  development   rather  than  expanding  the  park  but  thought  that  the  improvements  to  Federal  would   significantly  improve  the  park,  which  would  make  the  surrounding  parcels  more  desirable.    This   was  a  good  thing  and  he  felt  that  the  park  had  been  handled  the  right  way.  Finally,  he  was  glad   to  see  that  the  use  and  height  discussions  were  largely  left  off  the  proposal  and  could  be   worked  on  in  more  detail  going  forward.     The  final  committee  member  present  said  that  he  largely  agreed  with  everything  that  had  been   said  before  them,  particularly  the  positive  aspects.    He  also  felt  that  the  lack  of  a  crossing  at   Lancaster  was  a  concern  and  also  agreed  with  the  concern  that  the  narrowing  of  the  street  at   the  Commercial  end  would  not  be  able  to  handle  traffic.    He  felt  strongly  that  people  needed  to   move  away  from  single  occupant  car  travel  and  felt  that  this  plan  would  help  to  balance  out   modes  so  that  other  modes  were  more  viable.    Overall,  he  saw  the  proposal  as  a  terrific   outcome.     A  committee  member  who  was  unable  to  be  present  at  the  meeting  due  to  illness  sent   comments  in  via  email.    He  liked  the  roundabout  and  the  narrowing  of  Franklin  at  the   Commercial  Street  end.  He  also  appreciated  the  reconnection,  particularly  that  of  Federal   Street,  and  the  extension  of  Lincoln  Park.    He  did  question  the  safety  of  back-­‐in  angled  parking   on  Federal  Street.    He  wished  that  bold  options  had  been  taken  at  the  Bayside  Trail  intersection   and  felt  that  overall  the  corridor  could  be  even  more  bike  and  pedestrian  friendly.    He   understood  the  compromises  though  and  is  in  support  of  the  plan.     Carol  asked  for  a  show  of  hands  and  found  unanimous  support  from  the  PAC  for  the  plan,   except  for  one  abstention  due  to  concern  about  the  lack  of  a  pedestrian  crossing  at  Lancaster   Street.   Cathy  took  the  floor  to  review  next  steps.    IBI  Group  recommends  that  the  implementation  be   done  in  three  steps  with  the  Commercial  Street  end  first,  the  Marginal  Way  end  second,  and   the  middle  portion  third.    They  acknowledged  that  the  Marginal  Way  intersection  is  scheduled   to  be  worked  on  in  the  near  future  but  felt  the  Commercial  end  had  the  least  complications  and   could  be  completed  fairly  quickly.    The  report  will  include  recommendations  on  how  the  road   could  continue  to  function  during  construction.    The  cost  estimate  is  still  being  refined  but  at   the  time  was  around  $27  million  for  the  project.     A  question  was  asked  about  the  phasing  and  how  the  current  project  scope  included  an  initial   engineered  design  for  the  Marginal  Way  intersection.       Cathy  agreed  that  this  was  the  case  and  that  they  were  recommending  that  the  Preliminary   Design  Report  (PDR)  be  expanded  to  include  the  whole  corridor.    This  would  allow  for  a  better   understanding  of  grade  and  alignment  issues.     A  committee  member  asked  how  the  price  broke  down  by  proposed  phase.       Cathy  responded  that  it  was  approximately  30%  of  the  total  for  phase  1,  40%  for  phase  2  and   30%  for  phase  3.     Carol  took  the  floor  and  explained  that  the  next  step  was  for  the  team  to  present  the  plan  to   the  City’s  Transportation,  Sustainability  &  Energy  (TS&E)  Committee  on  April  15th.  It  will  then   go  to  the  City  Council,  in  May  if  possible.   There  was  some  discussion  about  what  role  the  PAC  could  play  in  this  and  it  was  felt  that  it   would  be  helpful  if  some  key  representatives  could  come  to  the  meetings  to  express  support.     Carol  continued  by  saying  that  the  PDR  would  take  place  in  May,  June,  and  July.    MaineDOT   requires  that  two  public  meetings  be  held  as  part  of  this  process.     A  committee  member  asked  for  some  more  information  on  the  possibility  of  expanding  the   PDR.     Don  Ettinger  replied  that  development  of  the  vertical  and  horizontal  alignment  for  the  entire   road  corridor  was  important.    It  is  being  recommended  that  this  all  be  looked  at  the  same  time,   but  the  team  is  not  presuming  it  would  be  an  addition  to  the  existing  contract.       Mike  Bobinsky  said  that  this  would  be  worked  on  more  going  forward.    He  also  noted  that  they   were  contemplating  inviting  the  entire  Council  to  the  TS&E  meeting  in  May  to  expose  them  to   the  plan  early  on.    They  were  trying  to  work  to  streamline  the  process  and  would  let  the  PAC   know  as  they  have  a  better  idea  of  the  timeline.     Councilor  Donoghue  noted  that  the  proposed  first  phase  (the  Commercial  Street  end)  was  the   area  with  the  most  consensus  from  the  PAC.    He  agreed  that  it  seemed  achievable  in  the  near   term.     With  no  other  comments,  Carol  thanked  everyone  for  all  their  hard  work  and  accommodation   and  closed  the  meeting  at  8:19  pm.