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MaineDOT expects to release
its report on the state of Maine’s bridges in mid-November. Governor
Baldacci requested the in-depth report after the Minneapolis I-35W
bridge collapsed in August killing 13 people.
As the
governor’s executive order requested, the document will examine the
state’s bridge inspection program and identify areas of risk, as
well as look at the adequacy of the state’s funding for bridge
maintenance. The executive order charged MaineDOT with four tasks,
one of which is to “take appropriate action to mitigate any safety
concerns.”
Many expect that – given rising
costs and declining Highway Fund revenues – the report will offer a
bleak forecast that includes more bridge closures and posted weight
restrictions if no additional funding is appropriated. That current
funding levels are not adequate is a well-known fact.
• Early this year,
MaineDOT released a list of 288 deficient bridges throughout the
state, and that list is likely to grow.
• Maine has more
deficient bridges than most other states. We rank 13th in the
nation and third in New England.
• Maine has a high
number bridges that are decades past their recommended 50-year
lifespan – nearly 250 are 80 years or older.
• Currently MaineDOT has funding to replace or repair only
14 bridges per year, while the department’s long-range plan
calls for replacing or rehabilitating 32 bridges annually to keep
pace with the state’s aging stock of bridges. MBTA thinks that
number should be 40 per year.
• It will take an
estimated $500 million in today’s dollars to replace these aging
bridges. The longer we wait, the more it will cost.
MBTA will
work with industry leaders and transportation advocates to make sure
that this report does not fall on deaf ears. Our goal is to spark
action within the Maine Legislature in support of adequate funding
of MaineDOT’s bridge program.
We will be asking for your
help to raise awareness with your local leaders, so please watch for
more MBTA updates. You can view a copy of Governor
Baldacci’s August 2 executive order and bridge inspection
information on the MBTA web site.
Transportation funding
studies
There has been much in the news
lately about the Legislature’s Transportation Committee’s request
for a Maine Turnpike study of tolling on Maine’s Interstate system.
The Maine Turnpike Authority board has voted to suspend the $40,000
study due to objections from the governor’s office that promised to
make the study politically contentious.
Committee chairs Sen.
Dennis Damon (D-Trenton) and Rep. Boyd Marley (D- Portland) both
have expressed disappointment that the study would not go forward.
The committee had put the study on the table as one possible future
idea to address the $2 billion funding shortfall MaineDOT is
expecting over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, the MBTA is
following these other legislative studies:
• The
Committee to Study Appropriate Funding of the State Police is
reviewing the Highway Fund support of the Maine State Police. This
study follows an Office of Program Evaluation & Government
Accountability (OPEGA) report released earlier this year that found
the Highway Fund has been paying between $13.5 - $20 million too much per year for transportation-related
enforcement activities. The MBTA continues to advocate for higher General Fund participation in the
State Police funding and
a lower, more equitable share for the Highway Fund.
• With
the Fuel Tax Study, legislators are evaluating the current
structure of the state’s fuel tax. They are considering whether it
would make sense to convert a portion of the motor fuel tax from a
flat, per-gallon fee to a sales tax that would rise and fall with
the price of fuel while simultaneously decreasing the fuel tax. MBTA
is working with legislators, the MaineDOT and other industry groups
to evaluate this funding option.
• Meanwhile, the
Appropriations and Transportation committees are pursuing a joint
subcommittee to look at a range of transportation funding
issues. The chairs and leads plan to meet in November and hope
to open the discussion to more committee members at a session in
December. In the meantime, the MBTA has been meeting with members of
the committees to educate them on various financing options, and ask
for their input in developing solutions.
LD
1790 update: Awaiting governor’s signature
Last spring the Maine Legislature
passed LD 1790: An Act to Secure Maine’s Transportation Future.
Now, almost four months later, the bill still awaits Governor
Baldacci’s signature. The signing has been delayed due to a
technical drafting error that created a deficit in the Highway Fund.
The MBTA hopes the governor will allow this bill to become
law when the legislature reconvenes in January. The bill already has
generated an in-depth discussion about the grave needs of Maine’s
transportation system. Signed into law – and with the governor’s
support – legislators will have more incentive to solve the
transportation funding crisis.
Don’t miss the Transportation Achievement
Awards
Honoring Walt Parady, Don Raye and Sen. Christine
Savage, Friday, November 2
The MBTA will host our biennial awards
banquet on Friday, November 2, at the Augusta Civic Center. We look
forward to seeing you as we honor these three individuals who have
achieved so much for transportation in Maine. If you have not
already made your reservations, please contact the office at
622-0526 as soon as possible!
Mark your calendar
The Maine Challenge: Transportation
Opportunities
The
57th Maine Transportation Conference, December
6
Conference sponsors MaineDOT,
MBTA and the Maine Section ASCE have put the finishing touches on
the agenda for the Maine Transportation Conference, at the Augusta
Civic Center on December 6. The full conference agenda
and registration material are now available on the MBTA
website.
It’s Super Raffle
time!
There are still raffle tickets available for
the MBTA Super Raffle. Tickets are only $50 and the first prize is a
$7,000 trip to a location of your choice!
Winners will be
announced at the MBTA Holiday Meeting, Thursday, December 13, in
Orono. Only 500 are being sold. Get your tickets now. For more
information, call the office, 622-0526 or e-mail deanna@mbtaonline.org.
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