An Act To Promote Transportation Planning, Increase Efficiency and Reduce Sprawl
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1180
Committee Amendment CA_A_H296 (House)
Amends: 23 MRSA §73-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " 
to H.P. 861, L.D. 1180, Bill, "An Act To 
Promote Transportation Planning, Increase Efficiency and Reduce Sprawl" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §73-A is enacted to read: 
§73-A. Transportation planning incentive funding 
In order to further the purposes and policies of section 73 and Title 30-A, chapter 
187, subchapter 2, encourage sound transportation planning and protect the integrity of 
regional transportation systems and thereby prevent or reduce the need for costly future 
capacity or retrofitting expenditures associated with unmanaged development along state 
transportation corridors, the department shall administer a program of transportation 
planning incentive funding as described in this section. 
1. Community transportation plan. To be eligible for incentive funding under this 
section, a municipality, on its own or in collaboration with neighboring communities, 
must adopt a community transportation plan addressing the manner in which 
development along state transportation corridors in the municipality or municipalities is 
to occur and each municipality that adopts the plan must incorporate any land use 
development strategies recommended in the plan into its local ordinances. 
The 
community transportation plan and related policies, programs and ordinances must be 
designed to meet the objectives of the Sensible Transportation Policy Act and rules 
adopted pursuant to that Act and to the greatest practicable extent reduce the need to 
make costly transportation capacity and retrofitting improvements in the future. The 
department shall provide technical assistance to municipalities in developing community 
transportation plans through regional planning councils or other agencies or consultants 
designated by the department. For purposes of this section, "community transportation 
plan" means a transportation plan developed by one or more communities along a state 
transportation corridor, including but not limited to a community transportation plan that 
is part of a comprehensive plan developed pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 187, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.. " 
II 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 861, L.D. 1180 
subchapter 2 that is designed to strengthen the functional viability and lengthen the long-
term life of state transportation corridors. 
2. Transportation incentive funding. A municipality or a group of municipalities 
may apply for transportation incentive funding under this section by filing with the 
department a community transportation plan together with related policies, programs and 
ordinances, an application for incentive funding on a form provided by the department 
and a proposal describing the transportation improvements for which the incentive 
funding will be used. The department shall authorize incentive funding amounts, within 
available funds, based on a competitive rating system established by the department by 
rule. The department shall publicize available funding at least biennially. Incentive 
funding must be commensurate with the merits of a plan and related policies, programs 
and ordinances and for an amount that does not exceed the estimated cost of the specific 
investment proposal. 
The projected transportation-related avoided costs from 
implementation of the community transportation plan must exceed the amount of the 
incentive funding as determined by the department in its rating system. A municipality 
must pay back to the department any incentive funding provided by the department under 
this section if the municipality repeals or revises its community transportation plan or 
related ordinance provisions within 10 years of roceipt of the incentive funding, unless 
the repeal or revision is approved by the department. 
3. Rules. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 
Funding. 
The Department of Transportation shall solicit municipal 
incentive funding applications under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 73-A 
beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 and shall identifY suitable sources for providing 
incentive funding beginning in fiscal year 2010-11. Funding must be derived from funds 
available under the Department of Transportation's quality community initiative 
programs.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill but preserves its main purposes. The bill proposed 
to direct the Department of Transportation to use $1.5 million each year to provide 
incentive grants to municipalities to manage development along state highways to reduce 
the cost of future highway improvement projects. The amendment establishes a program 
within the department to provide technical assistance and incentive grants to 
municipalities that effectively manage the impacts of development along state 
transportation corridors in a way that meets the Sensible Transportation Policy Act 
objectives and avoids or minimizes the need for future costly transportation capacity or 
retrofitting projects. The amendment directs the department to solicit municipal incentive 
funding applications beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 and to identifY suitable sources for 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 861, L.D. 1180 
providing incentive funding beginning in fiscal year 2010-11. Funding must be derived 
from funds available under the department's quality community initiative programs. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/21107 flvac:. 
LD 1180 
LR2046(02) 
An Act To Promote Transportation Planning, Increase Efficiency and Reduce Sprawl 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: Transportation 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No net fiscal impact 
This bill establishes new criteria for existing grant programs within the Department of Transportation and will have no 
net fiscal impact to the Highway Fund. 
LR2046(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1