An Act To Collect Data To Assess the Need and Plan for Noise Abatement by the Maine Turnpike Authority
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1372
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BABBIDGE, BREEN, ARATA, BRYANT, CAIAZZO, HYMANSON, O'NEIL, ROCHE, CLAXTON, RAFFERTY
Amends: 23 MRSA §1974, 23 MRSA §1984

Legislative Document
No. 1372
H.P. 1006
House of Representatives, April 7, 2021
An Act To Collect Data To Assess the Need and Plan for Noise 
Abatement by the Maine Turnpike Authority
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 5, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BABBIDGE of Kennebunk.
Cosponsored by Senator BREEN of Cumberland and
Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, BRYANT of Windham, CAIAZZO of 
Scarborough, HYMANSON of York, O'NEIL of Saco, ROCHE of Wells, Senators: 
CLAXTON of Androscoggin, RAFFERTY of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1974, sub-§1, ¶F, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. MM, §9, 
is further amended to read:
F.  Repayment to the Federal Government for grants or loans that were used in 
connection with the construction or reconstruction of any portion of the turnpike or of 
any interconnecting access roads, but only to the extent that the repayment is required 
in order for the authority to maintain or establish tolls on the turnpike; and
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §1974, sub-§1, ¶G, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 457, §7, is 
amended to read:
G.  Payment or repayment to the Federal Government or any agency of the Federal 
Government of any charges, taxes or other payments required by law in connection 
with the construction, reconstruction or operation of the turnpike or the financing or 
refinancing of the turnpike or any part of the turnpike.; and
Sec. 3.  23 MRSA §1974, sub-§1, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  Construction, reconstruction, maintenance or implementation of a remediation plan 
to achieve noise abatement.
Sec. 4.  23 MRSA §1984 is enacted to read:
§1984.  Noise abatement
The authority shall install devices to collect data measuring noise levels at certain 
points adjacent to the turnpike corridor. Data collected under this section must be:
1.  Residential neighborhoods and public health facilities. Collected where a 
residential neighborhood of 10 or more domicile units per quarter mile or a public health 
care facility exists:
A.  Within 1,500 feet of the roadway on the turnpike, not including entrance and exit 
ramps where the posted speed limit does not exceed 45 miles per hour; or
B.  Within 1,500 feet of a public rest area managed by the authority; and
2.  Data specifications. Collected at various distances up to 1,500 feet and must 
distinguish noise levels at different times of day and night, on different days of the week 
and at different times of the year.
The authority shall provide an annual report summarizing recent data and multiyear 
comparisons of data collected under this section to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters by December 1, 2022 and each 
year thereafter.
Sec. 5.  Turnpike noise abatement.  No later than February 2, 2023, the Maine 
Turnpike Authority shall submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over transportation matters a plan for a noise abatement program including 
procedures, noise thresholds and noise mitigation options for routes and public rest areas 
managed by the authority, in accordance with United States Department of Transportation, 
Federal Highway Administration regulations relating to noise abatement on existing 
highways. The plan developed by the authority must include, but is not limited to, indicated 
noise thresholds along the turnpike based on data collected pursuant to Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 23, section 1984 and proposed legislation to establish criteria by major 
substantive rules for assessing the reasonableness and feasibility of noise abatement 
measures.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Maine Turnpike Authority to install devices to collect data 
measuring noise levels along routes managed by the authority, sets specific criteria for the 
data that must be collected and requires the authority to report this data to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters no later than 
December 1, 2022. This bill also requires the authority to submit to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters a plan to 
develop a noise abatement program in accordance with United States Department of 
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration regulations and sets specific criteria for 
the plan developed by the authority.