Do you walk or bike around Rockland? Then you might have noticed some of the same challenges that we have: sidewalks that end without notice, crosswalks to nowhere, crumbling shoulders, a lack of bike lanes, and in general: a streetscape that is unsafe.

How can we address these issues? 

A wonderful plan exists called “Complete Streets.” This plan is designed to help guide towns and municipalities on how to better plan their streets so that they may safely accommodate all users: drivers, cyclists, wheelchair users, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and more.

This plan has been adopted at the state level and we believe that it is time for Rockland to adopt a Complete Streets Ordinance here in our City. Passing a Complete Streets plan would help to provide a more comprehensive guide for Council and staff when they are presented with new road work, for how to improve our streets.. Many communities in Maine have adopted Complete Streets policies including Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, Windham, Fort Kent, Bath, Yarmouth, and Scarborough. The State Department of Transportation has itself adopted a Complete Street policy as of 2014, and we believe it is time that Rockland follows this DOT guidance and join these communities. 

The fact is that many of our streets are incomplete. That is, they have been designed primarily for cars, with little regard for the safety or convenience of other users. A Complete Streets policy guides community decisions about planning, maintenance, construction, and funding. It could lead to — for example — the planning and execution of safe cross-town pedestrian or bicycle routes, safer routes to schools, or better wheelchair accessibility along transportation corridors. And typically, when we make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists they become safer for cars as well, we also address speed issues, which are a common complaint for anyone in our City who lives on a “cut through” street.

There are many reasons to implement Complete Streets in Rockland, including: improving safety and convenience for those living here already; attracting new residents who value multimodal transportation options (especially young people); encouraging healthier and more environmentally-friendly lifestyles; reducing parking problems; and providing a framework for interacting with the state Department of Transportation.

We call on the Rockland City Council to explore a Complete Streets ordinance, hold public workshops on the topic, and speak with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and other experts.

We walk or bike to work. We also own cars, but there are plenty of people who don’t or can’t. We feel it’s important for residents to have access to a diversity of transportation options that are safe, keeping an eye towards a future that we believe will value this diversity.

Nathan Davis, Matthew Ondra, and Joel Cooke live in Rockland and are Community Spokes of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, and founders of Rockland Rolls