BRUNSWICK -- The Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) "is the Department of Defense's primary source for assisting communities that are adversely impacted by Defense program changes," according to its website. It's hard for us here in the Midcoast to remember that "adversely impacted" can be the result of base expansion as well as closure. But when it comes to adverse traffic and transportation effects, OEA has typically thought of communities in which a facility and its mission grow. So it's practically unheard of the OEA would fund a Transportation Feasibility Study in a community like Brunswick-Topsham, in which the transportation questions arise from the redevelopment of a military installation.
Nevertheless, nearly 100 area residents gathered last week to hear a progress report on an OEA-funded study being conducted under the auspices of the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) that will address a number of long-standing problems that have been given new urgency as the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority continues its work to implement the Reuse Master Plans for both the main Naval Air Station - Brunswick property and the Topsham Annex, on Route 201. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) of Bedford, New Hampshire is leading the study team. They have identified five "strategies" - or areas of concern - that will be further developed as a result of both their own study and the input from the general public.

They include two that directly involve the NASB property: improved base access from US Route 1 and potential direct access to the base freight rail spur redevelopment. Two others issues concern traffic through the Town of Brunswick: mobility improvements between Exit 28 off I-295 through the town to Route 123 and additional capacity for current and future traffic along US Route 1 (Mill Street) from Pleasant Street to Route 196 (Topsham Bypass). These include the traffic pattern around First Parish Church and the area near Fort Andross, heading over the bridge into Topsham from Brunswick. The final strategy concerns Topsham and the need for additional capacity for current and future traffic along Route 196 from I-295 to US Route 1 (the current Topsham Bypass), including congestion relief at the Route 196/US 201 intersection. The study is expected to be in the hands of MDOT by the end of June. It will contain a series of recommendations, according to Martin Kennedy, the Project Manager for VHB. That, of course, is just a first step. MDOT has a process for establishing priorities for transportation improvements. Anything that would "increase capacity" goes through engineering and environmental studies. Then there is always more need than there is money, so recommendations that come from this study will compete against other projects. It could take several years for Brunswick-Topsham improvements to rise to the top of the priority list. Improvements that require less "sand and gravel" - and less money - have a better chance of being implemented within a couple of years.

The study will address more than new roads and rail lines; it will also consider "multi-modal" transportation, including walking, bicycling and public transportation, has the potential to ease congestion and improve "mobility" in the area. The process is ongoing. VHB and its partners will continue their work and return for another public workshop in March. A final public meeting to present their findings will occur in May or June. In the meantime, the public can learn more at www.nasb-transportation-study.com.

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