Biddeford Saco Transit Oriented Development Plan

An oblique aerial view of the Biddeford Saco Mill District

The Mill District in Biddeford and the area of Saco Island in Saco have been selected as a location for a Transit-Oriented Development Concept Plan as part of PACTS’ 2020-2021 work plan. The image above shows the general study area for this plan. The study area includes Saco Island and the Mill District in Biddeford (including Pepperell Mill Campus, Lincoln Mill, the Pearl Street Riverfront District, and all of Spring Island).

Read the draft plan here:
Biddeford Saco Transit Oriented Development Plan 

Provide public comment on the plan here:
Comment here

What is Transit Oriented Development?

TOD is an approach to development that maximizes the amount of residential, business, and leisure space within an easy walk of public transit. The goal is to promote sustainable growth by increasing walkability and transit use while reducing reliance on private vehicles.

Learn more about TOD here:

Project Goals

As this area continues to develop, the goal of the Biddeford-Saco TOD Concept Plan is to ensure safe, sustainable, and equitable growth. This plan will identify opportunities to improve:

  • Bicycle and pedestrian connectivity
  • Traffic flow, circulation, and parking;
  • Wayfinding and design; and
  • Access to transit.

Project Timeline

  • Winter 2020 - Project steering committee kicks off; project team will evaluate existing conditions and engage stakeholders/public.
  • Spring 2020 - Project team will continue to engage stakeholders/public; project consultant will draft conceptual visualizations and revise as necessary; project team will begin to draft plan.
  • Fall 2020 - Project team will share draft plan and visualizations to the project steering committee for feedback.
  • Fall 2021 - Project team will submit final plan and presentation to each municipality’s City Council or appropriate Committee.

Survey Results

PDF of results from Survey 1

Interactive map of results from Survey 1

PDF of results from Survey 2

Funding

The study is funded by the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the greater Portland region. The Cities of Biddeford and Saco are project partners.