2.4 miles of Saco’s Rte. One under review for lane reduction, pedestrian and bike improvements

Saco’s Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) heard a presentation at its Jan. 15 meeting that proposes to reduce the number of lanes on a portion of Route One north of Ross Road from four to three, create a center turn lane, and create bicycle lanes for both north and southbound travel.

If implemented, recommendations found in the study are “… expected to improve safety, reduce vehicle speeds, mitigate conflicts, and enhance accommodation for alternative modes of transportation” along a 2.4-mile segment of U.S. Route One, from Ross Road to Cascade Road.

The focus of the U.S. Route 1 “Road Diet Feasibility Study” is to determine whether the existing four lane roadway could undergo a “road diet” that would reduce the number of lanes to three – one northbound lane, one southbound, and one “two-way center left-turn lane” (TWCLTL).

The feasibility study has been forwarded to the Maine Department of Transportation for its review. Implementation of the study’s recommendations would be possible only with MDOT approval.

As noted in the study, “(t)he 2.4 mile study corridor has experienced 112 crashes over the three-year (2022-24) analysis period.” Nearly half (48%) of those crashes are rear-end or side-swipes due to “…existing design characteristics,” according to the study’s authors.

The city retained the services of VHB, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm with offices in 14 states, including Maine and the District of Columbia, to perform the study.

“MDOT criteria have been addressed” by the study, said Jason Ready, P.E., of VHB. The four existing traffic signals within the study area would be maintained, and include already approved changes to the intersection at Spring Hill Road, part of the elementary school project under construction off Mill Brook Road.

Travis Moore, the director of public works for the city, said that the road diet proposal is not a result of the elementary school project.

“This concept has been discussed prior to the new school location being finalized,” he said in the week following the meeting. The city had been aware of an MDOT repaving project scheduled for this section of Route One, and asked VHB to expedite review in order to incorporate the proposed striping plan into that schedule.

The existing four lane road creates “challenges” for motorists seeking to access a driveway that may require a left turn across two lanes of oncoming traffic, according to the study, which also pointed to right turns that often mean “substantial deceleration” that can and does result in rear-end collisions.

The study goes on to note that, “…wide lane widths and frequent passing opportunities have encouraged higher travel speeds, reducing driver reaction time and increasing crash severity.”

And, as those familiar with the road can attest to, “…the existing roadway cross-section has provided minimal pedestrian accommodation and no dedicated bicycle infrastructure.”

“We reviewed plans and we found the 4-lane section was in place in 1996,” said Travis Moore, director of public works for the city, who added that plans from the 1970s did not show the four-lane design.

The TSC, chaired by Deputy Police Chief Corey Huntress, includes the Mayor, City Administrator, two city council members, Police and Fire chiefs and the public works director, as well as a member of the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and a citizen at large.

The goals of the study were reviewed and approved during a joint meeting of the TSC and the BPAC in November 2025. The potential for a “road diet” on Route One was also discussed during an April 2025 presentation provided by the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG).

“The key thing we need to look at is the safety aspect,” said Police Chief Jack Clements. He suggested that as motorists become accustomed to the recent reconfiguration of Exits 35 and 36 on the Maine Turnpike, I-95 may attract a greater percentage of daily trips and lessen traffic on Route One.

Crash History as reported by MDOT

Route One intersects with four roads within the study area, each improved with a traffic signal: Ross Road, Funtown Parkway, Mill Brook Road/Spring Hill Road, and Cascade Road. None is a “High Crash Location” as defined by the MDOT, but there have been 36 crashes at the four intersections during the 2022-24 period.

In addition to the aforementioned rear-end and sideswipe crashes, intersection-involved crashes account for 31%, and run-off-the-road crashes for 11% , meaning that the three categories result in 90% of accidents along the 2.4-mile segment. The study points to the existing four-lane configuration as the culprit for “…numerous conflict points where vehicles must interact during turning movements, lane changes and speed adjustments.”

According to VHB, MDOT is willing to consider road diets for traveled ways that experience less than 20,000 to 25,000 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT). Segments within the 2.4 study area range from 17,163 AADT south of Ross Road, to 14,761 AADT from Spring Hill Road to Funtown Parkway, so a road diet would be considered “appropriate” for the corridor.

MDOT requires alternatives to be considered

“What MDOT wants to see is an alternatives analysis,” said Ready. VHB’s work addresses a “no-build” option, the road diet option, and a road widening option.

The no-build option would include upcoming, already approved improvements to the Spring Hill Road intersection, stemming from the new primary school to be built off Mill Brook Road. The no-build, as stated within the study, would be impacted by traffic volumes projected to increase approximately 1% annually, and would not address existing crash patterns, would provide no pedestrian or bicycle infrastructure, and would incur no construction costs aside from routine maintenance.

The road diet option as envisioned by VHB would result in an 11-foot travel lane in each direction, a 12-foot two-way center left-turn lane, and 6-7-foot-wide bicycle lanes the length of the 2.4 mile segment. The study suggests the bike lanes be separated from vehicle lanes by flexible plastic delineators, and that a “protective delineator” should be considered if “permanent installation” proceeds. Moore said that specifics as to a protective delineator would be determined if the project should go to construction.

The road diet option, says the report, would “…be expected to address rear-end crashes,” reduce sideswipe crashes, provide dedicated bicycle facilities, provide traffic-calming benefits, and result in a reduction of current traffic volumes.

The third option, road widening, would result in two lanes north, two lanes south and a 12-foot-wide center turn lane, meaning that widening the existing right of way would be necessary. The cost of real estate acquisition and failure to meet multi-modal transportation goals led to this option being determined to be infeasible.

Asked whether comparable road diet projects have occurred or are planned elsewhere in the state, Ready mentioned Bangor Street in Augusta, and also a portion of Route 201 in Skowhegan.

Chris Nucci, a member of the TSC as well as a longtime co-chairman of the BPAC, welcomed the proposal.

“I’m all in favor of turning that corridor into a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly area and according to the study, this road diet will increase safety for both drivers and pedestrians with only an imperceptibly small increasein time of travel,” said Nucci after the meeting. “It will be especially usefulin the area of Funtown, for anyone working there or looking to spend a day there (or the movie theatre across the road) without a license or car.That list could include workers, patrons, families, etc.”

Moore added that to date, costs of the project have not been discussed with the MDOT.