No Yard South logo No Yard South

Traffic: Already Bad on Broadway

There's already too much traffic on Broadway—how can it handle even more?

The first question we hear when talking to people about the Yard South proposal is:
What about the traffic??
The answer: Broadway cannot handle the increased traffic that would be generated by Yard South's proposed 30-acre development.

Eastbound traffic on the 7-mile corridor along Broadway to Cushing's Point (Bug Light) is already heavy and dead-ends on a peninsula. A 2018 joint transportation study by Portland and South Portland concluded that the corridor could support 500-1,000 additional dwellings (see study excerpts attached).
The study is already outdated:

  1. The 500-1,000-dwelling limit doesn't reflect new and under-construction developments like O'Neil St, Surfsite, or the Betsy Ross House expansion.
  2. The tuition waiver at SMCC has increased traffic/parking congestion.
  3. The Yard South project calls for 1,200 dwellings, along with an office building, strip retail plaza, fine-dining restaurant, two fast-casual dining places, veterinary clinic, hotel, and bar.
  4. Yard South's own draft study projects additional weekday traffic volume of nearly 14,000 “internal capture” trips/day. Given restricted parking at Yard South and the number of destination businesses that will draw outside traffic, Broadway and adjacent streets will be adversely impacted.
  5. In Yard South's scenario, capture trips occur within the development and wouldn't affect traffic. They believe volume would be further reduced by bus, ferry, bike, and walking transit. All would require a massive outlay for infrastructure, and residents of “market-priced” condos are not likely bus candidates. Winter conditions are another reality not conducive to biking or walking.

A residential/commercial development of this scale does not benefit the residents of South Portland.

Sewall Traffic Study (commissioned by PK Realty)

The proposed Yard South development will generate significant traffic increases across multiple categories. Despite adjustments for internal trips and pass-by trips, the following points highlight why this change will negatively impact the area:

  1. High Overall Traffic Volume:
    • The development, comprising residences, a hotel, retail, offices, and restaurants, will generate over 13,900 trips per day on weekdays alone, significantly adding to the current road system's load.
  2. Peak Hour Congestion:
    • During weekday AM and PM peak hours, there will still be over 1,000 trips in the morning and 1,350 in the evening, even with a planned internal trip reduction. This will likely lead to congestion on adjacent streets, especially during busy commuting times.
    • Saturday peak traffic will also exceed 1,300 trips, further straining roads during the weekend when nearby retail and recreational activities are high.
  3. Limited Reduction in Pass-By Trips:
    • The development is banking on pass-by trip reductions, especially for retail and restaurant traffic, but these reductions will still leave a substantial number of new trips that the area may not be able to handle.
  4. Strain on Adjacent Street System:
    • Despite attempts to reduce traffic through alternative modes of transportation, the adjacent street system will still experience significant strain.

Data Highlights Limitations on Growth

Traffic impact study visualization

Cushing's Point Transportation Study, a 2019 joint study by Portland and South Portland, concluded that the Broadway corridor could support at most 1,000 more dwellings. The study is now outdated, with developments like the Betsy Ross House expansion, Summit Terrace, O'Neil Street, and Surfsite claiming a chunk of that total. The study doesn't reflect the influx of traffic due to SMCC's tuition waiver. Cushing's Point cannot absorb vehicles from another 1,000 units plus hotel and ancillary businesses.

Excerpt: "The analysis in this study indicates that the Broadway corridor can support additional growth (estimated in the range of 500 to 1,000 additional dwelling units in the study area), with system improvements that include improved traffic signal efficiency; expanded and improved bus service, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities and by offering ferry transportation to and from Portland. Roadway/intersection improvements to create a roundabout or an equivalently effective design, will be required at Sawyer Street."