By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,179)

The public is invited to attend a meeting on Wednesday, October 1st, to see what the Franklin Street “of the future” could look like. The public workshop runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Rines Auditorium at the Portland Public Library.

For the many who have been following the changes to occur in the Franklin Street area, this is an excellent opportunity to get the latest information.  There will be a brief presentation and a series of displays showing how the road could be redeveloped to create smoother traffic flows, safer bike and pedestrian access and room for residential and retail development, according to a press release issued by Carol Morris, Study Public Outreach Morris Communications.

The redesign process for Franklin Street has been underway for several years,but it was the large amount of public input at this year’s January public workshop for the study that helped to refine the bigger picture ideas into a more specific plan. Att hat meeting, three potential designs were displayed; at the October 1 meeting those designs have been combined into a single concept.  While many details still remain to be worked out, the public will get a much clearer idea of the street’s ultimate look and function.  The City is eager to get feedback on the concept as well as the details that are still being considered.

Some of the elements of t his concept, for which the city needs specific input includes bike access at intersections, parking on Franklin Street itself, a potential expansion of Lincoln Park and a change in traffic patterns at the Marginal Way and Commercial Street intersections the press release continues.

Munjoy hill resident Markos Miller is one of the originators of this idea and is currently a co-owner of Ten Ten Pie on Cumberland Avenue.

Background information on the study, including the feedback received in January, can be found at http://www.portlandmaine.gov/660/Franklin-Street-Committee-Phase-2. Those who would like more detail on the meeting can contact Carol Morris, Study public outreach manager, at cmorris@morriscomm.net or 207 – 329 – 6502.