Transportation Corridor Planning
Traditional transportation planning is focused on estimating costs and identifying funding for major capacity-building projects. Corridor management planning is instead about making the highest and best use of existing capacity, with targeted high-priority improvements as needed. Effective corridor management requires transportation planning to be integrated with land use planning and economic development planning – each is highly dependent on the others for its long-term success.
Three "Corridors of Regional Economic Significance to Transportation" or CRESTs were designated in Washington County as part of Maine's Statewide Long-Range (20-year) plan, Connecting Maine, issued in 2007. The Washington County CRESTs include the Coastal Canadian Corridor, the Downeast Coastal Corridor and the Route 6 Corridor, depicted at right. Each corridor includes the multiple modes of transportation, rail, road, air, trail, port, that allow movement of goods and people through the corridor.
Corridor Management Planning for each CREST followed issuance of the Long Range Plan "Connecting Maine":
Downeast Coastal Corridor Management Plan was completed in 2009 and updated in 2014
Coastal Canadian Corridor Management Plan was completed in 2011;
Eastern Interior (Route 6) Corridor Management Plan was completed in the Spring of 2013.
Eastern Interior (Route 6) Corridor
The Eastern Interior Corridor can be defined as a generally east-west corridor between the Canadian border in Vanceboro and Interstate I-95 in Lincoln, to include the track of the Eastern Maine Railway between Vanceboro and Mattawamkeag. A significant portion of the EIC study area was included in the study area for the generally north-south Coastal Canadian Corridor (CCC) Management Plan, produced by WCCOG for MaineDOT in 2011. Corridor Management Planning was completed in June, 2013 and documents are posted below.
Kick-off Meeting Summary - May 9, 2013
Stakeholder Meeting Minutes - Thursday June 20 Lee Town Office.
Final Document: Eastern Interior Corridor Management Plan
Coastal Canadian Corridor
The Canadian Coastal Corridor is a state-designated transportation corridor in eastern and northern Maine that extends from Eastport to Houlton. The Washington County Council of Governments (WCCOG) has been selected as the lead agency to complete the portion of the plan covering the state-designated Coastal Canadian Corridor in eastern Washington County, between Eastport and the Aroostook County line in Danforth.
WCCOG identified a stakeholder list of transportation corridor users and interest groups in the study area. Stakeholders played a key role in helping WCCOG prepare a workable and inclusive plan, which was presented to MaineDOT for budgeting and future implementation in July of 2011. It will be integrated with the Aroostook County portion of the plan in the future.
Meeting minutes and draft plan components were posted as the plan was developed.
January 25th Advisory Committee Minutes
March 14th Advisory Committee Minutes
May 2nd Advisory Committee Minutes
June 6th Advisory Committee Minutes
A public meeting was held on June 22, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Washington County Community College Auditorium to review the plan’s recommendations, answer questions, and receive feedback on the plan from the general public. A summary of issues raised and responses to the Public meeting is summarized in Appendix B of the final document.
Click on the following link Final Coastal Canadian Corridor Management Plan to download a PDF version of the Plan (1.7MB).
The next step in the corridor planning process is to have future transportation projects within the designated Coastal Canadian Corridor be implemented through a continuing, comprehensive, multi-year planning process that is managed by the State with the ongoing assistance of the County, Tribes, Cities and Towns that maintain local jurisdictional authority within the corridor. To that end a Sample Memorandum of Agreement will be reviewed by affected jurisdictions in 2011/12 and proposed for signatures.
Down East Coastal Corridor
In 2008 and 2009, WCCOG and the Hancock County Planning Commission worked together to develop a Corridor Management Plan for the Down East Coastal Corridor, which is defined as the broad East-West transportation corridor that moves people and goods between Eastern Washington County and Bangor/Ellsworth. The Downeast Coastal Corridor includes Route 1, Route 9 and connector routes (e.g. 193, 192, 191, 214…). It includes all modes of transportation that move people and goods within and along the corridor (roads, freight, transit, trails, air, port facilities, et cetera).
Click here to download a PDF version of the 2009 Downeast Coastal Corridor Management Plan (1.5 MB).
Downeast Coastal Corridor 2014 Update
For more information, contact the Calais (207-454-0465) or Milbridge (207-546-3600) office.