GrowSmart Maine is restating its opposition to the Gorham Connector project. In a press release published Tuesday, the nonprofit said that the Maine Turnpike Authority project will irrevocably harm the environment for unclear benefits.
GrowSmart CEO Nancy Smith said expanding the highway is only a temporary fix and doesn't address the underlying demand for single-passenger transit.
"What really happens is if you build it, they will drive. It is just a never ending cycle. It's short sighted … There's a real opportunity here to craft a more comprehensive, long term solution to do something that would really set an example and set a new standard for what the solutions are," Smith said.
The proposed toll road would run from Exit 45 in South Portland to the Gorham Bypass at Route 114. The Turnpike Authority said its needed to ease traffic congestion in the area.
Smith said the MTA has not considered solutions outside of building more roads.
"I think it's perhaps time to look at the reality that MTA is designed to build roads. What if MTA were designed to more broadly, or there were a different organization that was empowered to look at, 'where do we need roads? Where do we need transit?' …. This is an opportunity to set a new standard for how we address these kinds of issues," Smith said.
Smith suggested groups, like Gov. Janet Mills' proposed Office of Community Affairs, should weigh in on the project and any possible alternatives.
