DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR TO BE PRESERVED FOR POTENTIAL RAIL USE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Badeau
Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council
784-0161
August 01, 2002
The Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Company, through the Maine Department of Transportation, is seeking to preserve a short rail corridor in downtown Lewiston for potential future use. The proposed corridor alignment stretches from Oxford/Beech Streets to the Lower Lewiston rail, a distance of approximately 2,000 feet.
Preserving the corridor supports a long-term strategy by the Maine Department of Transportation to integrate a network of short-line railroads, airports, waterports, and highways, a concept referred to as intermodal transportation. The Department of Transportation also aims to establish passenger rail service to various parts of the state in order to accommodate commuters and improve the state’s transportation system. The small corridor in downtown Lewiston is a vital link connecting to other rail lines and modes of transportation, and is critical for future freight and commuter train services.
The Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Company is a stock corporation established by the Maine Legislature in 1872. It consists of a nine-member board of directors. L-A Railroad Company received a $2 million grant as part of a voter-approved bond issue from the Maine Department of Transportation to acquire up to 13 properties in order to preserve the corridor for future rail possibilities. The Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council is administering the grant. In the coming weeks, the L-A Railroad Company through LAEGC will work with property owners to acquire the properties in compliance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Preserving the L-A Railroad corridor potentially opens the door to future development opportunities including the prospect of commercial freight use and trolley and commuter services to nearby communities such as Portland, the newly developed Pineland Center, Brunswick, and Bath Iron Works.
“The project is a long-term investment consistent with the revitalization and renaissance of downtown L-A,” says Paul Badeau, Marketing Director and spokesperson for the project. “Future passenger rail service, for example, would enhance plans for new projects in the community including a proposed arts center, convention center, the new Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Auburn, the Bates Mill Complex, and future satellite parking areas.”
“The L-A Railroad corridor will also allow for the possibility of an international East-West rail connection in Lewiston-Auburn using St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad to link directly with Canadian ports coast to coast and thus serve as a critical link to Europe, the Pacific Rim, Mexico, and beyond. This could provide tremendous economic opportunities not only for intercontinental and international trade, but for continued business attraction and retention in Lewiston-Auburn.”
The related property acquisitions would also create more open space and more green space for downtown neighborhoods.
Badeau stresses that there is no timetable to establish any kind of rail traffic to downtown Lewiston. Neither L-A Railroad Company nor the LAEGC have the resources to build railroad lines. Rather, their objective is to preserve the corridor for future use by the community.
“There is a limited window of opportunity to act, given the current interest by the Maine Department of Transportation,” adds Badeau. “The full potential of preserving the corridor may only be realized in the distant future, but some impact will be felt immediately by way of creating more greenspace and preparing the downtown for new investments.
“This is an important opportunity for the community to be proactive in securing its future. This initiative simply leaves options open for the community. If we don’t take action to preserve the corridor, the door will be closed permanently.”
