Old Port Commuter Transit

It appears that one of the big issues for any development at the end of Commercial St. is the lack of adequate parking. Both Olympia and Ocean Properties have differing solutions, but ultimately, neither plan will meet future demand.

My idea is running a small commuter train (light rail not a trolley) on the existing rail line from the end of Commercial to Presumpscot St. Presumpscot St. is underdeveloped industrial area, has available land (sub market prices btw), is adjacent to 295 and the rail line continues north to Yarmouth, Freeport etc. Building a parking garage (or lot initially) on Presumpscot would allow people to commute directly into the Old Port area from outer 302, Freeport and Yarmouth etc.

Such a system could service the three new developments (cruise terminal, Riverwalk and Maine State Pier) by shifting employee parking offsite, allow cruise ship passengers better accessibility to Freeport, allow additional parking for island residents and offer a more comprehensive parking solution for Old Port.

Future development could include a new 295 ramp onto Presumpscot St. for southbound commuters and a tie in to the Amtrak/bus station off of congress. This would create an integrated system of public transportation (rail, air, bus) with Portland as a key hub.

A top down view can be found here:

http://maps.yahoo.com/broadband#mvt=m&q1=washington%20ave%20portland%20maine&trf=0&lon=-70.227613&lat=43.706601&mag=5

Benefits:

1. Create efficient public transportation.
2. Utilize Presumpscot St. area and jumpstart development
3. Relieve parking congestion
4. Add a valuable service to the new cruise ship terminal.
5. Solve future parking needs for new pier/terminal and Riverwalk developments
6. Jump start efficient and usable commuter transit in Portland
7. Tie-in with the south bound Amtrak could expand Maine commuter rail service


Satellite parking garages combined with mass transit rail works in major cities everywhere. The rail line that crosses the mouth of Back Cove hasn’t been used in years and I’m sure there are a host of legal issues with the existing rail line...but… it seems like an idea worth exploring further?