We, the undersigned, are opposed to the Maine Turnpike Authority’s “Gorham Connector” due to one or more of the following reasons:
Negative Environmental Impacts- Sacrifices Smiling Hill Farm, an iconic Maine small business and one of the oldest farms in the country.
- Irreparably harms a delicate habitat for native brook trout, one of the last in our region.
- Blocks wildlife migration and walking trail connections.
- Creates a new sound and light pollution corridor that will impact homes and natural areas for miles.
- Expands Maine’s biggest polluter and vehicle emissions, undermining Maine’s Climate Action Plan.
Increases Traffic and Reduces Quality of Life- Erodes our access to trails, open space and natural landscapes.
- Increases pressure for more commuter parking in downtown Portland, making it harder to develop housing near jobs.
- Encourages sprawl development in our region, further increasing traffic.
- Invites more car traffic to the areas near the corridor.
Reduces Equity- Subsidizes improvements for people who already have transportation options, and ignores our residents who are young, old, disabled, lower income, or just prefer to have alternatives to single vehicular travel.
Overall, we believe that the proposal is Illogical and short sighted, and is counter to the direction Maine should be going.
We ask that state leaders pause this project, convene a full public engagement process, evaluate the costs/benefits of an alternative transportation and land use solution that is durable, long-term, and cost effective.