A new Maine Department of Transportation web page provides an overview of Wiscasset’s $5 million downtown project. Visitors can review site maps, sign up for email alerts and even give their preferences for street lighting, directional signage and other amenities.

Project Manager Ernie Martin demonstrated the website to the Public Advisory Committee Tuesday evening. The address is http://www.maine.gov/mdot/. From there look for “What’s New” and drop down to “Wiscasset Downtown Improvements.”

“It’s still a work in progress but it lets people see how far we’ve progressed,” Martin said. The site includes nearly everything the committee and MDOT officials have discussed over the last nine months. Included are proposed parking plans, a traffic flow video, examples of brick types for sidewalks and examples of street lamps and park benches and more.

Martin said residents can log on and vote their preferences in a Survey Monkey survey. The site will be updated as the project progresses.

During the meeting, PAC members shared suggestions from a June 23 site walk. Jamie Sonia suggested bollard lighting along the sidewalk planned for Railroad Avenue. She told Martin left turn arrows were needed on the traffic signals to make it easier for Main Street motorists to turn onto Water and Middle streets.

Sonia also suggested double-chained bollards to better control pedestrian traffic on Main Street. She added residents and business owners have asked for restrooms on Railroad Avenue near the planned parking area there. Martin said the town would have to pay to add the bathrooms.

Sonia also shared a letter from resident Belinda Haggett asking if some of the stone from the Haggett building could be used in the construction of the Water Street parking lot. Selectman Jeff Slack recommended eliminating one of the crosswalks on the corner of Water and Main streets. Bill Maloney said he’d prefer to see the Main Street lighting replaced with sidewalk lampposts.

PAC member Seaver Leslie said he wished MDOT would reconsider its plans to demolish the Haggett building. “There’s 10 parking spaces across from the building and the Haggett building tenants have offered the town use of their parking lot,” he said.

“There’s also 14 spaces in the municipal parking lot on Middle Street and more parking available at the town-owned parking area near Le Garage Restaurant on Water Street. Also, if you remove the railroad siding what happens if sometime in the future they want to return train service to Wiscasset? Then what,” he asked. At the site walk, Martin said in that case, trains could pick up passengers without siding.

Leslie said some of MDOT’s proposals will require approval of the townspeople. “The big issue is there are things that have to be done in accordance with the town’s ordinances.” At the meeting’s outset, Leslie proposed the committee pause its work long enough to make an interim report to the select board. No one seconded his motion. “We need to step back, pause and rethink some of these project proposals,” he commented.

The next meeting is at 5:30, July 25. Railroad Avenue will be the focus.