Atlas of Maine

Article Title

Commuter Travel Times from the Belgrade Lakes Region to Augusta and Waterville, Maine

Authors

Sarah Hart, Colby College
Rachael Panning, Colby College

Abstract or Description

Communities in the Belgrade Lakes Region of central Maine are “bedroom communities” where residents live in rural areas and commute to work in metropolitan areas including Waterville and Augusta, Maine. How much time does a resident of the Belgrade Lakes Region spend commuting? What are the most efficient routes from populated rural locations to city centers? We used ArcGIS Network Analyst to calculate travel times and routes from six town centers in the Belgrade Lakes Region to Waterville, Augusta-Capitol and University of Maine at Augusta. The mean travel times and distances from town centers to Waterville, Augusta-Capitol and University of Maine at Augusta were 27, 27 and 24 minutes and were 16.1, 21.8 and 19.0 miles respectively. In the Belgrade Lakes Region there are approximately 13,000 people that live within 40 minutes and 33 miles of the education and employment opportunities in Waterville and Augusta. Our sample model estimates that the average Belgrade Lakes Region resident travels between 24 and 27 minutes and 16 to 21 miles to Augusta and Waterville.

About the Author

Sarah is a Biology major with a concentration in Environmental Science from Santa Barbara, CA. She is interested in environmental toxicology and conservation biology.

Rachael is a Biology major with an Environmental Studies minor.

Rights

In Copyright

Recommended Citation

Hart, Sarah and Panning, Rachael "Commuter Travel Times from the Belgrade Lakes Region to Augusta and Waterville, Maine," Atlas of Maine: Vol. 2010: No. 2, Article 8.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/atlas_docs/vol2010/iss2/8