An Act To Create a Transportation Planning Incentive for Communities Located on Peninsulas
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0645
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: LANGLEY, KUMIEGA, BAKER, COLLINS, ROSEN, CHAPMAN, HUBBELL, MAKER, MALABY
Amends: 23 MRSA §73, 23 MRSA §73-B

Legislative Document 
No. 645 
S.P. 238 
In Senate, March 3, 2015 
An Act To Create a Transportation Planning Incentive for 
Communities Located on Peninsulas 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator LANGLEY of Hancock. 
Cosponsored by Representative KUMIEGA of Deer Isle and 
Senators: BAKER of Sagadahoc, COLLINS of York, ROSEN of Hancock, Representatives: 
CHAPMAN of Brooksville, HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, MAKER of Calais, MALABY of 
Hancock. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §73, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 610, Pt. B, §2, is 
amended to read: 
7.  Priorities, service levels, capital goals and reporting.  The Department of 
Transportation shall classify the State's public highways as Priority 1 to Priority 6 
corridors using factors such as the federal functional classification system, regional 
economic significance, heavy haul truck use and relative regional traffic volumes and as 
provided by section 73-B.  The department shall also establish customer service levels 
related to safety, condition and serviceability appropriate to the priority of the highway, 
resulting in a system that grades each highway as Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor or 
Unacceptable. 
To provide a capital transportation program that is geographically balanced and that 
addresses urban and rural needs, the department shall include the following goals as part 
of its capital improvement plans and program delivery.  The goals are to: 
A.  By 2022, improve all Priority 1 and Priority 2 corridors so that their safety, 
condition and serviceability customer service level equals Fair or better; 
B.  By 2027, improve all Priority 3 corridors so that their safety, condition and 
serviceability customer service level equals Fair or better; 
C.  By 2017, implement a pavement program for all Priority 4 corridors that 
maintains their ride quality customer service level at Fair or better; 
D.  Continue the light capital paving program on a 7-year cycle for Priority 5 
corridors outside compact areas as defined in section 754; and 
E.  By 2015, develop and implement a similar asset priority and customer service 
level system of measurement for all major freight and passenger transportation assets 
owned or supported by the department, including capital goals. 
The department shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over transportation matters by March 1st of each odd-numbered year 
quantifying progress realized and time that has elapsed since the goals were established.  
The department shall recommend any remedial actions, including additional funding or 
revisions to the goals, that the department determines to be necessary or appropriate. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §73-B is enacted to read: 
§73-B.  Transportation planning incentive for communities located on peninsulas 
1.  Transportation planning incentive.  The department shall assign a higher 
priority classification as provided by section 73 for a state or state aid highway located on 
a peninsula if the relevant municipality or group of municipalities develops a 10-year 
work plan that describes and addresses local and regional transportation infrastructure 
needs and considers the regional effect of the capital improvement of the state or state aid 
highway. 
2.  Rules.  The Commissioner of Transportation shall adopt rules to implement this 
section.  The rules must provide flexibility in order to achieve the purpose of this section.  
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
3.  Report.  Beginning January 15, 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Commissioner 
of Transportation shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over transportation matters on implementation and operation of this section. 
SUMMARY 
In order to promote partnerships, including interlocal agreements under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 115, among municipalities located on state and state 
aid highways on peninsulas and to address the unique transportation needs of 
municipalities located on peninsulas with one road in and out, this bill requires the 
Department of Transportation to assign a higher priority classification for a state or state 
aid highway located on a peninsula if the relevant municipality or group of municipalities 
develops a 10-year work plan that describes and addresses local and regional 
transportation infrastructure needs and considers the regional effect of the capital 
improvement of the state or state aid highway.