Franklin Street is a four-lane street in
Portland, Maine. It began as Essex Street in the 18th century, but changed to Franklin Street by 1823. It is a major corridor for traffic from
Interstate 295 to Portland's downtown, and to other neighborhoods located on the Portland peninsula.
History
Franklin Street was reconstructed as a divided
arterial roadway in the late 1960s, after the demolition of Portland's
Little Italy, Bayside and other neighborhoods. Renamed Franklin Street Arterial, it was built to allow greater access by vehicles to
Commercial Street and the rest of downtown. Unfortunately, this configuration also hindered pedestrian traffic—both along its length and across it—to and from
East Bayside
East Bayside is a neighborhood in Portland, Maine. It is bordered by Franklin Street on the west, Washington Avenue on the east, to the north by Marginal Way, and the south by Congress Street. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Bayside, the O ...
, the
Old Port,
Munjoy Hill
Munjoy Hill is a neighborhood and prominent geographical feature of Portland, Maine. It is located east of downtown and south of East Deering, the neighborhood it is connected to by Tukey's Bridge. The neighborhood historically had a large Ir ...
and other neighborhoods which border it.
Franklin Towers
Franklin Towers is a 16-story high-rise building located in Portland, Maine, at the corner of Franklin Street and Cumberland Avenue, rising to a height of . Construction was completed in 1969, and its primary use is residential.
It affords resi ...
, at the corner of Cumberland Avenue, was built at this same time.
In May 2007, 70 people gathered to discuss the impacts and potential of Franklin Street Arterial. The report of this meeting was brought to City officials, and helped to set the stage for the Franklin Street Corridor Study—Phase I. Plans have been discussed and presented to change the street, all three of which would add bike paths and sidewalks. In 2010, at the recommendation of the Franklin Street Corridor Study, the name was returned to Franklin Street, by Portland's City Council. New street signs indicating "Franklin Street" were hung in March 2011. Signage on nearby I-295, which The Maine Department of Transportation is responsible for, indicates "Franklin St," as well.
Franklin Street gets new name-Franklin Street', Portland Press Herald, 7 April 2011
The Maine State Pier, a deepwater marine facility and outdoor music venue, is located at the intersection of Franklin Street and Commercial Street on Portland's eastern waterfront. Casco Bay Lines
Casco Bay Lines (also known as the Casco Bay Island Transit District, CBITD) is a publicly run transportation company that services the residents of the islands of Casco Bay. These islands include Peaks Island, Little Diamond Island, Great Diam ...
(also known as Casco Bay Island Transit District, CBITD), a publicly run transportation company that services the islands of Casco Bay, runs its fleet of five vessels from the Maine State Pier.
References
External links
Franklin Arterial
University of Southern Maine
PortlandMaine.gov
{{Portland, Maine
Streets in Portland, Maine