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April
3, 2007
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UPCOMING MBTA EVENTS |
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MBTA 2007
Annual Meeting
Thursday, May 3
Senator Inn,
Augusta
Transportation Day at
the Legislature
Wednesday, May 23
State House,
Augusta
For more
information, contact the MBTA at (207) 622-0526
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Appropriations
Committee endorses final bond package
Legislature to vote on $295 million package within
days
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Last night, the Appropriations
Committee voted out a $295 million bond package, with the full
House and Senate expected to vote in the next couple of days. The
transportation component of the bond package totals $136 million,
and will be split into two votes: one in June 2007 ($113 million)
and the other in June 2008 ($23 million).
This is the
largest transportation bond package proposed in the state’s
history, a clear indication that the Governor and legislative
leaders heard your concerns about the state of the system. After
the Governor presented the transportation bond package at $131
million, both parties stated publicly their commitment to funding
transportation at the highest possible level.
Of the $136
million approved, the highway and bridge total was $110 million,
while the non-highway portion came in at $26 million. In addition
to the $110 million for highways and bridges, the rest of the
transportation included the
following:
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Passenger/Freight
Rail
Final
Governor’s
Downeaster investments
$6.75M $
6.75M
Rockland Branch Station
.50M
.75M
Industrial Rail
Access
1.60M
1.60M
Mountain Division
Rebuild
1.25M
2.50M
State Rail Capital
Improvs
1.42M
1.67M
Montreal Maine &
Atlantic
1.00M
1.75M
Freight Rail Interchange Program
1.00M
1.80M
Total:
$13.52M
$16.82M
Port
&
Ferry
Final
Governor’s
Swan’s Island – Piers &
dolphins $0.00
$1.00M
Casco Bay
Island Transit
.50M
.50M
Small Harbor
Improvements
1.00M
1.20M
Searsport – Corps of
Engineers
.28MM
.28M
Portland International
Marine
.50M
.50M
Gulf of
ME Research
Bulkhead
.70M
0.00
Total:
$2.98M
$3.48M
Transit, Intermodal, Park &
Ride
Final
Governor’s
Buses, Statewide
Replacement
$2.00M
$2.00M
Trenton, Island Explorer Intermodal
2.50M
3.00M
Bath Station
Improvements
0.00
.30M
Augusta
Intermodal
Facility
.15M
.15M
Park &
Ride
0.00
.20M
Total:
$4.65M
$5.65M
Aviation
Final
Governor’s
State Match to FAA
Grants
$3.20M
$3.20M
State Funded
Aviation
.20M
.20M
Total
$3.40M
$3.40M
Trails, Pedestrian,
Bike
Final
Governor’s
State Match for FHWA
Enhance
$1.25M
$1.25M
Safe Routes to
Schools
.20M
.50M
Total
$1.45M
$1.75M
In addition to transportation, other
components of the overall $295 million package included:
• Research and
development: $55 million
•
Higher Ed: $43.5 million
• Natural Resources: $35.5
million
• Environmental
initiatives: $25 million
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The transportation bond is a first
step in addressing the funding crisis the state is facing relative
to transportation. It is important to thank the state leaders who
supported transportation at this level, since many other bonding
areas had to be cut significantly in order to stay within the
overall negotiated number.
Please contact the Governor
and legislative leaders, along with members of the Transportation
and Appropriations Committees and thank them for supporting
transportation.
Governor
Baldacci
Senate
Leadership
Sen. Beth Edmonds(D-Freeport), Senate
President
Sen. Elizabeth H. Mitchell
(D-Kennebec County), Senate Majority Leader
Sen. Richard W. Rosen,
Assistant Minority Leader
469-3779 / rrosen113@aol.com
House Leadership
Representative Glenn Cummings (D-Portland), Speaker of
the House
775-2560 / gcforleg@yahoo.com
Hannah
Pingree (D-North Haven), House Majority
Leader
867-0966 / hannah@pingree.com
Sen. John
Martin (D-Aroostook)
Sen. Karl
Turner (R-Cumberland)
Rep. Jeremy
Fischer (D-Presque Isle)
Rep.
Margaret Craven (D-Lewiston)
Rep. Janet
Mills (D-Farmington)
Rep. Emily
Cain (D-Orono)
Rep. Linda
Valentino (D-Saco)
Rep. David
Webster (D-Freeport)
Rep. Sawin
Millett (R-Waterford)
Rep.
Patrick Flood (R-Winthrop)
Rep. John
Robinson (R-Raymond)
Rep. Jayne
Crosby Giles (R-Belfast)
Sen. Dennis Damon (D-Hancock),
Chair
Rep. Boyd Marley
(D-Portland)
To leave a message at
the State House for your
legislators:
Message line for House members:
1-800-423-2900
Message line for Senate members:
1-800-423-6900
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LD 1790 -
Act to Secure Maine’s Transportation Future
to be
heard Friday
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Senator Damon’s bill,
“An Act to Secure Maine’s Transportation Future” will be
heard Friday, April 6, 1 p.m., by the Joint Standing
Committee on Transportation in Room 122 of the State
House.
This is the bill that MBTA has been working on
for the past year, and would develop a long-term plan and funding
mechanism for transportation infrastructure in Maine. The bill
represents the only long-term funding plan in the legislature, so
it is vital that people show up to show their support. To
read the bill text, click on: LD
1790.
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