An Act To Allow the Formation of Transportation Corridor Districts
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0500
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, BEEBE-CENTER, GRATWICK, JACKSON, COOPER, DEVIN, KUMIEGA, RYKERSON, WARREN
Amends: 30-A MRSA §3501, 30-A MRSA §3502-A, 30-A MRSA §3503, 30-A MRSA §3504, 30-A MRSA §3512

Legislative Document
No. 500
S.P. 161
In Senate, February 9, 2017
An Act To Allow the Formation of Transportation Corridor 
Districts
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative BEEBE-CENTER of Rockland and
Senators: GRATWICK of Penobscot, JACKSON of Aroostook, Representatives: COOPER of 
Yarmouth, DEVIN of Newcastle, KUMIEGA of Deer Isle, RYKERSON of Kittery, WARREN 
of Hallowell.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §3501, sub-§1, ¶¶C and D, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, 
Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 
and 10, are further amended to read: 
C.  A municipality voting to provide mass transportation service without the creation 
of a district; and 
D.  A regional transportation corporation, except that sections 3510, 3512 and 3517 
do not apply to a regional transportation corporation.; and 
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §3501, sub-§1, ¶E is enacted to read: 
E.  A transportation corridor district, except that sections 3502 and 3505, section 
3516, subsections 2 and 3 and section 3517 do not apply to a transportation corridor 
district. 
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §3501, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
4.  Transportation corridor district. "Transportation corridor district" means a 
specified area contiguous with a transportation route or facility that has been formed by a 
municipality or municipalities and approved by the voters as provided under section 
3502-A. 
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §3502-A is enacted to read: 
§3502-A.  Formation of a transportation corridor district; powers 
1.  Formation.  A municipality may, in accordance with the requirements of this 
section, by itself or in cooperation with one or more other municipalities, form a 
transportation corridor district for the purposes of funding public transportation and 
accessibility needs, including passenger rail, ferry, bus, bicycle and pedestrian facilities 
and routes, and promoting economic development at transportation station areas and in 
downtown areas.  A municipality or group of municipalities shall select the borders of the 
transportation corridor district. The transportation corridor district may include the entire 
municipality or group of municipalities or a portion of the municipality or portions of the 
municipalities, but must encompass an existing or proposed transportation corridor. 
2.  Notice and hearing.  Before forming a transportation corridor district, the 
municipality or group of municipalities shall hold at least one public hearing on the 
proposed transportation corridor district in the municipality or in each of the participating 
municipalities.  Notice of the hearing must be published at least 10 days before the 
hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality or municipalities 
and on each participating municipality's publicly accessible website if that municipality 
has a publicly accessible website.  The municipality or group of municipalities shall 
provide notification of the public hearing to all property owners whose property lies 
within the borders of the proposed transportation corridor district by first-class mail. The 
municipality or group of municipalities shall provide notification of the public hearing to 
adjoining municipalities and the Department of Transportation of its proposed 
transportation corridor district and may coordinate borders with other municipalities 
along the transportation corridor. 
3.  Voter approval.  The formation of a transportation corridor district must be 
approved by a voter referendum in each participating municipality. 
4.  General powers; area of service.  A transportation corridor district formed under 
this section is a body politic and corporate and may sue, be sued, plead and be impleaded, 
adopt a name, adopt and alter a common seal and do all things necessary to furnish 
transportation within that district, including charter service, for public purposes in the 
interest of the health, safety, comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the 
municipality or municipalities comprising the district. 
5.  Incidental rights.  All incidental powers, rights and privileges necessary to 
accomplish the main objective set forth in this chapter are granted to a transportation 
corridor district formed under this section. Such a district is subject to the jurisdiction of 
the Public Utilities Commission only to the extent provided in this chapter. 
Sec. 5.  30-A MRSA §3503, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, 
§106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is repealed 
and the following enacted in its place: 
§3503.  Addition to or modification of a district 
1.  Application for membership to a district.  A municipality that is contiguous to 
any other municipality authorized to provide transportation services under this chapter or 
contiguous to any municipality that is a member of a transit district may apply to the 
transit district for membership, and the board of directors may accept or refuse the 
application for membership. 
2.  Modification of borders of a transportation corridor district.  The board of 
directors, with approval from all municipalities in the transportation corridor district, may 
change the borders of a transportation corridor district. 
3.  Joining a transportation corridor district.  A municipality with an existing or 
proposed transportation corridor connecting to an established transportation corridor 
district may apply to join the transportation corridor district. The municipality applying to 
join an established transportation corridor district must receive approval by a majority of 
voters within the municipality at a referendum. The board of directors of the established 
transportation corridor district, with approval from all municipalities in the district, may 
approve the municipality's application by a majority vote. 
Sec. 6.  30-A MRSA §3504, first ¶, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is 
further amended to read: 
The affairs of a district formed under section 3502 shall or 3502-A must be managed 
by a board of directors chosen from the inhabitants of the municipality or municipalities 
comprising the district. 
Sec. 7.  30-A MRSA §3504, sub-§2,  as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is 
further amended to read: 
2.  Appointment; terms; quorum.  The municipal officers of each municipality 
shall appoint the directors of a transit district.  Initially, the directors' terms of office shall 
must be determined by lot at their first organizational meeting as follows: One-third of 
those appointed shall serve for 3 years, 1/3 for 2 years and the remaining number for one 
year.  All subsequent appointments are for a term of 3 years.  Directors shall serve until 
their successors have been appointed, with vacancies being filled for the unexpired 
portion of the respective terms. 
A majority of the directors constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.  Action 
taken by 2/3 of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance is 
considered to be the action of the full board of directors. 
Sec. 8.  30-A MRSA §3512, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is 
further amended to read: 
2.  Notes and securities authorized.  For accomplishing the purposes of this chapter 
and for paying any indebtedness and any necessary expenses and liabilities incurred for 
that purpose, including organizational and other necessary expenses, the a district, except 
for a transportation corridor district, by vote of its board of directors, or a transportation 
corridor district, if approved by voter referendum in each municipality participating in the 
transportation corridor district, may: 
A.  Borrow money temporarily and issue its negotiable notes for that money; and 
B.  From time to time, issue securities of the district in one series or in separate series 
in such amount or amounts, bearing interest at such rate or rates and having such 
terms and provisions as the board of directors determines.  These securities may be 
issued with or without provision for calling the securities before maturity and, if 
callable, may be made callable at par or at any premium determined by the board of 
directors.  The board of directors may from time to time issue its securities in one 
series or in separate series for the purpose of paying, redeeming or refunding 
outstanding securities. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides for the formation of transportation corridor districts within the 
current law relating to transit districts and regional transportation corporations.  The bill 
provides that a municipality may, by itself or in cooperation with one or more other 
municipalities, form a transportation corridor district for the purposes of providing an 
environment to fund public transportation and accessibility needs, including passenger 
rail, ferry, bus, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and routes, and promoting economic 
development at transportation station areas and in downtown areas. 
The bill requires a municipality or group of municipalities to select the borders of the 
transportation corridor district.  The bill requires that the formation of a transportation 
corridor district be approved by a voter referendum in each participating municipality.  
The bill authorizes a district's board of directors, with approval from all municipalities in 
the district, to change the borders of the district.  The bill also provides that a 
transportation corridor district, if approved by voter referendum in each municipality 
participating in the district, may borrow money temporarily and issue its negotiable notes 
for that money and issue securities of the district.