An Act To Expand Fiscally Responsible Transportation through Increased ZOOM Bus Service
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0673
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MOULTON, COLLINS, BEAUDOIN, BEAULIEU, BEAVERS, BOLDUC, CASAVANT, CHIPMAN, DION, FOSTER, HARLOW, HASKELL, HOGAN, KESCHL, LONGSTAFF, MALONEY, PEOPLES, PILON, ROCHELO, RUSSELL, WAGNER, WEAVER, WELSH, ALFOND, BLISS, HASTINGS, WOODBURY
Amends: 23 MRSA §1961

Legislative Document 
No. 673 
H.P. 503 
House of Representatives, February 17, 2011 
An Act To Expand Fiscally Responsible Transportation through 
Increased ZOOM Bus Service 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative MOULTON of York. 
Cosponsored by Senator COLLINS of York and 
Representatives: BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BEAULIEU of Auburn, BEAVERS of South 
Berwick, BOLDUC of Auburn, CASAVANT of Biddeford, CHIPMAN of Portland, DION of 
Portland, FOSTER of Augusta, HARLOW of Portland, HASKELL of Portland, HOGAN of 
Old Orchard Beach, KESCHL of Belgrade, LONGSTAFF of Waterville, MALONEY of 
Augusta, PEOPLES of Westbrook, PILON of Saco, ROCHELO of Biddeford, RUSSELL of 
Portland, WAGNER of Lewiston, WEAVER of York, WELSH of Rockport, Senators: 
ALFOND of Cumberland, BLISS of Cumberland, HASTINGS of Oxford, WOODBURY of 
Cumberland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1961, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1995, c. 504, Pt. C, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
2.  Cooperation with the Department of Transportation.  The Department of 
Transportation must be provided each year the at least 3% of operating revenues and any 
operating surplus of the Maine Turnpike Authority.  The Maine Turnpike Authority may 
issue bonds or other obligations to pay for Department of Transportation projects.  These 
amounts are considered necessary for use by the department for construction, 
reconstruction, operation and maintenance of all roads on the state highway system, 
which serve and benefit users of the turnpike by providing direct and indirect access to 
and from the turnpike as part of the integrated highway system.  Due to the utilization of 
the state highway system by users of the turnpike, the turnpike and its users have received 
and will continue to receive a benefit from, or have caused and will continue to cause, or 
both, the State acting by and through the Department of Transportation to incur costs for 
the construction, operation and maintenance of the state highway system, which provides 
direct and indirect access to and from the turnpike to areas in the State for which the State 
may properly be and should be compensated from the tolls to be collected.  The Maine 
Turnpike Authority should be maintained to carry out the purposes of this chapter in 
cooperation with the Department of Transportation. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §1961, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1995, c. 613, §1 and 
affected by §7, is further amended to read: 
6.  Appropriation.  On or before January 31st of each year, the authority shall 
present to each regular session of the Legislature for its approval a budget for the 
operating expenses of the authority for the calendar year that begins after the adjournment 
of that regular session and shall present to each regular session of the Legislature for 
informational purposes a statement of the revenues necessary for capital expenditures and 
reserves, and to meet the requirements of any resolution authorizing bonds of the 
authority during that calendar year, including debt service and the maintenance of 
reserves for debt service and reserve maintenance.  The authority may only pay operating 
expenses in accordance with allocations approved by the Legislature or as necessary to 
satisfy the requirements of any resolution authorizing bonds of the authority.  The 
Operating revenues and any operating surplus under subsection 2 must be transferred to 
the Department of Transportation and expended in accordance with allocations approved 
by the Legislature. 
Sec. 3.  Maine Turnpike Authority; ZOOM bus service to Lewiston and 
Auburn.  Before June 1, 2012, the Maine Turnpike Authority shall expand ZOOM bus 
service by adding a route between downtown Portland, Portland’s North Deering 
neighborhood and downtown Lewiston and downtown Auburn by way of Maine 
Turnpike Exit 80, outer Lisbon Street, East Avenue, Campus Avenue, Main Street, 
Washington Street and Maine Turnpike Exit 75.  The new route must include at least 16 
daily weekday round trips and limited weekend service. 
Sec. 4.  Maine Turnpike Authority; ZOOM bus service between Portland 
and points in York County.  Before June 1, 2012, the Maine Turnpike Authority shall 
increase service hours and trip frequency on the existing ZOOM Biddeford-Saco bus 
route by extending the route to serve park and ride facilities in Kennebunk and Wells and 
adding at least 25 daily weekday round trips between points in Portland and points in 
Biddeford and Saco in order to provide improved intermodal connections at the Saco 
Transportation Center, accelerate economic development in the Biddeford and Saco mill 
districts and relieve congestion on the busiest segment of the Maine Turnpike. 
Sec. 5.  Maine Turnpike Authority; ZOOM bus service to Augusta.  Before 
June 1, 2012, the Maine Turnpike Authority shall provide ZOOM bus service between 
Portland and Augusta with intermediate stops at park and ride facilities in Gray, Auburn, 
Lewiston and Sabattus, including 4 daily round trips during weekday morning and 
afternoon commuter hours. 
Sec. 6.  Maine Turnpike Authority; ZOOM bus fleet; Internet service.  
Before June 1, 2012, the Maine Turnpike Authority shall install wireless Internet service 
in the entire ZOOM bus fleet to increase the productivity of commuting workers and 
attract new riders. 
SUMMARY 
This bill directs the Maine Turnpike Authority to transfer at least 3% of the 
authority’s operating revenues to the Department of Transportation. 
This bill also directs the authority to provide new ZOOM commuter bus service 
between Portland and Lewiston and Auburn, expand ZOOM bus service between 
Portland and points in York County and provide new ZOOM bus service between 
Portland and Augusta.  This bill also directs the authority to install wireless Internet 
service in the entire ZOOM bus fleet.