Access
Management & Corridor Planning
ACCESS MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM
The 119th Maine Legislature approved LD 2550, An Act to Ensure
Cost Effective and Safe Highways in Maine. The purpose of the act
is to assure the safety of the traveling public and protect highways
against negative impacts of unmanaged drainage. The law is intended
to ensure safety, manage highway capacity, conserve state highway
investment, enhance economic productivity related to transportation;
and conserve air, water, and land resources. The Access Management
Program for Maine includes Access Management Rules and Corridor
Planning and Preservation Initiatives.
The Rules:
The Act specifically directs the MDOT and authorized municipalities
to promulgate rules to assure safety and proper drainage on all
state and state aid highways with a focus on maintaining posted
speeds on arterial highways outside urban compact areas. The law
also requires that the rules include standards for avoidance, minimization,
and mitigation of safety hazards along the portions of rural arterials
where the 1999 statewide average for driveway related crash rates
is exceeded. Those rural arterials are referred to in the rules
as "Retrograde Arterials".
The full set of rules became effective on May 25, 2002.
Corridor Planning and Preservation Initiatives:
Access management rules are viewed as only one part of the statewide
access management program. The program envisions prioritized planning
and preservation of Mobility Arterial corridors most at risk of
losing capacity, safety, and of decreasing posted speeds, due to
increasing development and commuter and visitor pressures. Mobility
arterial corridors most at risk are those designated as NHS highways
and highways where:
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Congestion is already being experienced,
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Driveway related crash rates exceed the 1999 statewide average,
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Municipalities have designated growth areas,
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Water and sewer infrastructure exists,
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Natural resources are threatened (e.g. water supply or salmon
watersheds),
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MDOT highway reconstruction projects are planned, or
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Areas experiencing rapid uncontrolled growth.
The identification of these "most-at-risk" Mobility Arterial
corridors is currently under way.
The Corridor Planning and Preservation Program includes corridors
where MDOT, in partnership with adjoining municipalities, property
owners, corridor committees, Scenic Byway corridor committees, and
other stakeholders along a mobility arterial join forces to develop
strategies that assures the stated purposes of the Access Management
Law are met and maintained. Corridor Planning and Preservation Program
partnerships would outline appropriate locations for access management
techniques such as:
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Access rights acquisition,
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Development of frontage roads and shared driveways,
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Intersection improvements,
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Development of turn lanes,
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Installation of signals, and
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Development of appropriate local land use regulations that
meet the intent of the law.
Plans will be required to outline corridor protection measures
that assure maintenance of safety and speed, and management of drainage,
as well as the development, protection, or enhancement of important
natural and/or man-made environmental features along the highway
corridor.
For more information
contact Dale Doughty at dale.doughty@state.me.us
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