An Act To Increase Access to Transportation for Workforce and Other Essential Transportation Needs
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1258
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: SHEATS, CHIPMAN, BRYANT, COLLINGS
Amends: 23 MRSA §4209

Legislative Document
No. 1258
H.P. 919
House of Representatives, March 14, 2019
An Act To Increase Access to Transportation for Workforce and 
Other Essential Transportation Needs
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SHEATS of Auburn.
Cosponsored by Senator CHIPMAN of Cumberland and
Representatives: BRYANT of Windham, COLLINGS of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §4209, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 130, §3, is 
further amended to read:
B.  Development and maintenance of a permanent and effective public transportation 
system, with particular regard to riders who are low-income or elderly or who have 
disabilities and to meeting workforce needs;
Sec. 2.  Requirements.  The Department of Transportation shall encourage local 
volunteer driver networks funded in section 3 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 create a pilot purchase of service program in a selected region of the State funded in 
section 3 and coordinate the program with related efforts of the Statewide Independent 
Living Council.  The Department of Transportation shall distribute the funding for 
regional transportation providers in section 3 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.  Regional 
transportation providers shall give preference in the allocation of funding to addressing 
the needs of the workforce in their region.
Sec. 3.  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.
HIGHWAY FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL
$500,000
$500,000
Multimodal - Transit  0443
Initiative:  Provides funding for regional transportation providers throughout the State, 
split evenly between rural and urban areas, to expand their services.  Funding must be 
used to address regional workforce needs and other unmet transportation needs.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the quinquennial locally coordinated plan for regional transit 
submitted by each regional public transportation agency to focus on meeting workforce 
needs.
This bill also 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, split evenly between rural and urban areas, to expand their 
services, including addressing regional workforce needs.
HIGHWAY FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL
$500,000
$500,000
HIGHWAY FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$9,000,000
$9,000,000
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL
$9,000,000
$9,000,000
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
HIGHWAY FUND
$10,000,000
$10,000,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$10,000,000
$10,000,000