	May 14, 2007

	UPCOMING MBTA EVENTS
	Transportation Day at the Legislature Wednesday, May 23 State House, Augusta Transportation Bond Vote Tuesday, June 12 Washington County Meeting Thursday, June 14 Eastport Chowder House, Eastport, 5 p.m. Infrastructure Golf Tournament Thursday, July 12 Augusta Country Club, 9 a.m. Aroostook County Meeting Thursday, August 2 Northeastland Hotel, Presque Isle, 5 pm Fall Convention Friday, September 14-16 Samoset Resort, Rockport Visit our events page for more information... For more information, contact the MBTA at (207) 622-0526

IN THIS ISSUE

• MaineDOT biennial work plan details

• MBTA board voices objections to Sears Island agreement

• Take the Commuter Challenge for Commute Another Way Week, May 14-18

• Sign up today: Maine Transportation Day at the State House, Wed. May 23

MaineDOT rolls out 2008-2009 work plan

$815 million plan does not regain ground lost during past biennium

MaineDOT has unveiled its new capital work plan for the 2008-2009 biennium. The plan carries an $815 million price tag. While that number may seem impressive after the drought of projects coming out of the department during the past two years, it comes nowhere near to getting Maine’s transportation investments back on track. In Commissioner Cole’s own words, the work plan is “custodial.”

MBTA has reviewed the plan and found that it falls short in three major areas: bridges, highway reconstruction and paving.

Bridges
The work plan calls for the rehabilitation, replacement or painting of 45 bridges. The department’s buying power has been so eroded that even with this plan’s considerably higher levels of funding, it does little to address the growing backlog of bridges. With 288 bridges are at risk of failing and hundreds more reaching the end of their serviceable life, MBTA believes we should be replacing 72 bridges during this period to begin addressing the backlog.

Highway reconstruction
The plan loses even more ground when it comes to highway reconstruction. It calls for only 78 miles of reconstruction, almost all of which was deferred from the last plan or has a federal earmark. The plan does not even restore all of those projects that had been deferred. Some will be reduced in scope; others will be put off again. Maine will spend 22 percent less on reconstruction in the new biennium. We will rebuild only 78 miles when we should be reconstructing 205 miles — meaning the backlog will grow even larger under this plan.

Paving
When it comes to stretching money set aside for paving, MaineDOT is being forced to spread its scarce fiscal resources for paving ever more thinly on the highway. The new work plan calls for spending $45.6 million more on paving than the current biennium. But even with the increased funding, MaineDOT does not have what's needed. The new plan buys Maine only 1,250 miles of pavement preservation and maintenance paving using cost-saving thinner treatments. Once again, Maine will see its backlog of deficient highways grow. The downward cycle is actually accelerated, because the thinner treatments have a shorter life span.

Bonding
The plan relies heavily on the upcoming June bond vote (for $113 million), and a second bond that will go out the public in June 2008 ($23 million). It is critical that both these items pass in order to fund the projects in the work plan. It also calls for a $50 million GARVEE (Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle) — a bond that has yet to be taken up by the Maine Legislature.

MBTA will continue to press the legislature — and voters — to address these needs through the upcoming bond referendums, passage of stronger budgets for capital improvements and passage of a longer term fix through LD 1790, An Act to Secure Maine’s Transportation Future. Success on these fronts will secure the federal match of $262 million and local match of $35 million that the MaineDOT work plan is dependent upon and allow that work plan to be expanded.

To view work plan specifics, including proposed investments in freight, transit, ports and harbors, download a copy of the entire plan at www.mainedot.gov.

MBTA board voices objections to Sears Island agreement

Concerned that agreement jeopardizes $26 million investment by Maine citizens

The MBTA board of directors voted unanimously at its last meeting not to sign the Sears Island agreement resulting from the state’s Sears Island Planning Initiative. MBTA members and staff who have attended meetings and participated in the discussions voiced their disappointment with the process. MBTA would have been willing to split the island in half, and pending a permit process, provide up to an additional 129 acres for preservation once mitigation questions had been answered.

The agreement cedes 600 acres to permanent preservation and after a joint use planning process, allows for an educational center to be built on the island. The MaineDOT would be able to market a port during this time, but a majority of the island would be in permanent conservation prior to the permitting process, placing a cap on port development. This would mean that needed flexibility would be lost to negotiate such matters as wetlands mitigation. The MBTA board was concerned with giving up negotiating flexibility up front before federal and state regulatory agencies have weighed in as to their expectations. Board members involved in similar permitting projects confirmed that it is impossible to predict how many acres are going to be required for mitigation or preservation by state and federal agencies – or which acres must be avoided. The Army Corps of Engineers just last week revised their requirements, adding to the uncertainty of the permit process.

Although MBTA board members believe conservation and passive recreational pursuits can coexist with a marine transportation operation on Sears Island, they felt it would be foolhardy to sign an agreement that may compromise Maine’s use of the Island for marine transportation purposes. No other location in Maine has the combination of deep water, available land, accommodating topography and double stack rail service to the North American continent. With over 900 miles of the Maine coast already publicly accessible and in conservation – and only a handful of miles available for marine transportation – the compelling argument to forever ban the use of two-thirds of this island for marine transportation has not been made.

Sign up today
• Maine Transportation Day, Wednesday, May 23

• Your chance to 'talk transportation' with your legislative leaders

The Maine Legislature's annual Maine Transportation Day will be held at the State House on Wednesday, May 23 in the Hall of Flags. Booth space is still available at no cost for organizations wishing to promote a transportation mode or project. The day also offers an important opportunity to discuss issues and concerns with your legislators in a setting that is devoted entirely to transportation.

MBTA will have a table there, as will several of our members. Please join us! If you would like to register for this free event or need more information, please contact the MBTA office at 622-0526 or deanna@mbtaonline.org.

Have you taken commuter challenge?
Commute Another Way Week begins today

This week, May 14th -18th, is Commute Another Way Week. Once again the MBTA joins GO MAINE, the Maine Turnpike Authority, MaineDOT, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and others in sponsoring this statewide event. We urge all of our members to register either as individual participants or as employers — and to encourage your employees to get involved, too. (Yes, you can register to participate right up until Friday, May 18.)

It’s free, there are great prizes, and it is an excellent way to support transportation options in Maine. For information, visit www.commuteanotherwayweek.org.