An Act To Improve Public Transportation in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1248
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McLEAN, FAY, FOLEY, JORGENSEN, PICCHIOTTI, WINSOR, VOLK

Legislative Document
No. 1248
H.P. 871
House of Representatives, March 30, 2017
An Act To Improve Public Transportation in Maine
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McLEAN of Gorham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: FAY of Raymond, FOLEY of Wells, JORGENSEN of 
Portland, PICCHIOTTI of Fairfield, WINSOR of Norway, Senator: VOLK of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  Requirements.  The Department of Transportation shall encourage local 
volunteer driver networks funded in section 2 to work with regional transportation 
providers to leverage the providers' experience, mobility management systems, vehicles 
and other resources; seek financial assistance from municipalities and other sources; 
charge modest fares; and serve all interested residents.  The Department of Transportation 
shall coordinate the pilot purchase of service program funded in section 2 with related 
efforts of the Statewide Independent Living Council.  The Department of Transportation 
shall distribute the funding for regional transportation providers in section 2 using the 
same formula as current state public transportation funding is distributed:  50% 
distributed to urban areas following the United States Department of Transportation, 
Federal Transit Administration formula and 50% distributed to rural areas following the 
standards governing the Federal Transit Administration formula grants for rural areas 
under 49 United States Code, Section 5311, which include the number of square miles in 
the service area, the population of the service area and the percentage of low-income 
individuals in the service area. 
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Multimodal - Transit  0443 
Initiative:  Provides funding to support and expand local volunteer driver networks. 
Multimodal - Transit  0443 
Initiative:  Provides funding to create a pilot purchase of service program in a selected 
region of the State to provide senior citizens and persons with disabilities vouchers to 
purchase their own transportation services. 
Multimodal - Transit  0443 
Initiative:  Provides funding for regional transportation providers throughout the State to 
expand their services. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
$500,000
$500,000
SUMMARY 
This bill provides funding to the Department of Transportation to support and expand 
local volunteer driver networks; to create a pilot purchase of service program in a selected 
region of the State to provide senior citizens and persons with disabilities vouchers to 
purchase their own transportation services; and for regional transportation providers 
throughout the State to expand their services. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$13,000,000
$13,000,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
$13,000,000
$13,000,000
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2017-18
2018-19
HIGHWAY FUND 
$14,000,000
$14,000,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$14,000,000
$14,000,000