Resolve, to Establish the Task Force to Recommend Strategies to Achieve the Goal of Eliminating Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1566
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: ANKELES, BENNETT, ZAGER, ZEIGLER, CHIPMAN, DAUGHTRY

Legislative Document
No. 1566
H.P. 1011
House of Representatives, April 11, 2023
Resolve, to Establish the Task Force to Recommend Strategies to 
Achieve the Goal of Eliminating Traffic Fatalities and Serious 
Injuries
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ANKELES of Brunswick.
Cosponsored by Senator BENNETT of Oxford and
Representatives: ZAGER of Portland, ZEIGLER of Montville, Senators: CHIPMAN of 
Cumberland, DAUGHTRY of Cumberland.
Preamble. Whereas, there are frequent crashes resulting in injury and human death 
and complaints about traffic speeds in communities across Maine; and 
Whereas, Vision Zero strategies, which use the safe system approach toward 
eliminating injuries for road users, are enabling communities around the United States to 
eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries; and
Whereas, state-level action is critical to implementing Vision Zero strategies and 
bringing the resources and attention needed to achieve safer streets for all road users across 
the entire State; now, therefore, be it
Sec. 1.  Task force established.  Resolved:  That the Task Force to Recommend 
Strategies to Achieve the Goal of Eliminating Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries, 
referred to in this resolve as "the task force," is established.
Sec. 2.  Task force membership.  Resolved:  That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 
353, the task force consists of the following 22 members:
1.  Two members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, including at 
least one member of the party holding the 2nd largest number of seats in the Senate and 
including at least one member of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation;
2.  Three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, including at least one member of the party holding the 2nd 
largest number of seats in the House and including at least one member of the Joint 
Standing Committee on Transportation;
3.  The Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the 
Department of Health and Human Services or the director's designee;
4.  The Director of the Bureau of Highway Safety within the Department of Public 
Safety or the director's designee;
5.  The Director of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future or the director's 
designee;
6.  The Chief Engineer of the Department of Transportation or the chief engineer's 
designee;
7.  One member representing municipal law enforcement leadership, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
8.  One member representing municipal transportation engineers, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
9.  One member representing municipal economic development, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
10.  One member representing urban design with municipal land use and street design 
experience, appointed by the President of the Senate;
11.  Three public members appointed by the President of the Senate and 3 public 
members appointed by the Speaker of the House, of which 3 or more of the following must 
be included: a representative of a group representing vulnerable road users; a state resident 
who was injured or lost a family member in a traffic crash; a member of a community that 
has been burdened by environmental justice issues; a person representing people with 
mobility, visual or cognitive impairments; a bus rider; a person representing people 
between the ages of 16 and 26 who is interested and active in creating safer roadways for 
vulnerable road users; and a person representing people over 65 years of age who is 
interested and active in creating safer roadways for vulnerable road users;
12.  One member representing a statewide transit association, appointed by the Speaker 
of the House;
13.  One member representing a metropolitan planning organization, appointed by the 
Speaker of the House; and
14.  A representative of the Department of Transportation with expertise in bicycle and 
pedestrian programs, designated by the Commissioner of Transportation.
Sec. 3.  Chairs.  Resolved:  That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the first-named 
Senate member of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation and the first-named 
House member of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation serve as cochairs of the 
task force.
Sec. 4.  Appointments; convening of task force. Resolved:  That, 
notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, all appointments must be made no later than 30 days 
following the effective date of this resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the 
Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been completed. 
After appointment of all members, the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the 
task force. If 30 days or more after the effective date of this resolve a majority of but not 
all appointments have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative 
Council may grant authority for the task force to meet and conduct its business.
Each public member of the task force under section 2, subsection 11 serves for a term 
of 2 years except that, of the members first appointed, 3 members serve for an initial term 
of one year and 3 members serve for an initial term of 2 years.  Each public member serves 
for the term of appointment until the member's successor is appointed.  A public member 
who has completed a term of membership may be reappointed to the task force.  Vacancies 
in the task force must be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
Sec. 5.  Duties; meetings. Resolved:  That the task force shall convene a public 
process to study, examine and review all aspects of traffic safety, with a particular focus 
on access, equity and mobility for all road users using the safe system approach, and to 
advise the Governor, the Legislature, the Department of Transportation and the Maine 
Turnpike Authority regarding policies, programs, research and priorities to help achieve 
the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.  To fulfill this purpose and 
these duties, the task force shall:
1.  Develop a comprehensive and coordinated action plan to help achieve the goal of 
eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roadways in the State through 
engineering, education and enforcement systems that analyze physical transportation 
designs, with a focus on the equitable treatment of all transportation users;
2.  Identify short-term and long-term data-driven strategies and street design best 
practices with measurable goals and target dates to reduce traffic fatalities and serious 
injuries, with the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2035, 
including studying the processes by which the Department of Transportation sets speed 
limits across the State and recommending evidence-based alternative methods;
3.  Promote effective and transparent collection of traffic safety data and dissemination 
of such data via a publicly accessible data portal that includes, but is not limited to, the 
most dangerous intersections in the State, traffic crash data with information on non-fatal 
injuries and demographic data and a high injury network that indicates the roadways in the 
State with the highest injury rates;
4.  Encourage the elimination of dangerous road conditions by advancing active 
transportation and mass transit as safe and viable forms of alternative transportation 
throughout the State for persons of all ages and abilities;
5.  Provide recommendations for changes to state, county and municipal street design 
standards, state laws and municipal ordinances to achieve the goal of eliminating all traffic 
fatalities and serious injuries by 2035;
6.  Develop an action plan to implement and promote the safe system approach, Vision 
Zero strategies and evidence-based safety countermeasures and street design standards to 
help achieve the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road 
users;
7.  Create and maintain an interactive Internet website to provide information about the 
task force, including:  the membership of the task force; the task force's plans, progress 
reports, meeting notices, agendas and minutes; educational materials about Vision Zero 
strategies; a link to the safety data portal required pursuant to subsection 3; and any other 
information the task force considers necessary;
8.  Serve as an advisor to the Department of Transportation and other state agencies 
and transportation authorities with regard to roadway planning and transportation 
infrastructure planning;
9.  Provide advice and assistance to county and municipal governments to develop their 
own Vision Zero strategy plans and street design standards; and
10.  Review and provide feedback on an annual basis to the Department of 
Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority on their respective capital plans before 
these agencies provide testimony at their respective public budget hearings before the 
Legislature.  The feedback must be made publicly available on the website of the task force 
before the agencies provide their testimony.
Notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the task force shall hold meetings open to the public 
and broadly advertised through at least 6 nonprofit organizations that address transportation 
issues.  Public meetings must occur at least 6 times each year and work sessions open to 
the public at least 2 times each year, to happen in 2023, 2024 and 2025, except that in 2023 
the task force may hold as many public meetings and work sessions open to the public as 
practicable.  Public hearings must be held at least once annually to review 
recommendations.  The chairs shall provide the opportunity for knowledgeable 
stakeholders to participate throughout the study process and to provide oral testimony and 
written comment on the task force's draft recommendations.  Knowledgeable stakeholders 
may include representatives from organizations representing economic development, 
transportation engineering and construction firms, highway users, age-friendly community 
groups, organizations representing people with disabilities, downtown organizations, smart 
growth and community design and development organizations, municipal and public works 
organizations, trucking and shipping firms, bicyclists and pedestrians, housing advocates, 
environmental justice advocates, law enforcement professionals and the tourism industry.
For the purposes of this resolve, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following 
terms have the following meanings.
"Active transportation" means mobility options that are powered primarily by human 
energy, including pedestrian mobility, such as walking and running; mobility assistive 
devices, such as wheelchairs, bicycles and tricycles; and small personal devices, such as 
skateboards and foot scooters, and that include accommodations pursuant to the federal 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
"Safe system approach" means evaluating traffic safety and designing a transportation 
system with the goal of eliminating fatal and serious injuries for all road users by 
acknowledging that traffic fatalities and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make 
mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive and 
redundancy is crucial.
"Vision Zero strategies" means actionable strategies using the safe system approach, 
including, but not limited to, prioritizing roadway design, focusing on speed management, 
ensuring equitable enforcement and using effective education strategies.
Sec. 6.  Staff assistance. Resolved:  That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353,  the 
Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the task force, except that 
Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the Legislature is in regular or 
special session.
Sec. 7.  Reports.  Resolved:  That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, no later than 
December 6, 2023, the task force shall submit a report that includes its initial findings and 
recommendations, the number of road traffic fatalities and serious injuries and a review of 
the implementation of the action plans under section 5 and any suggested legislation for 
presentation to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation.  The 
Joint Standing Committee on Transportation may submit legislation for presentation to the 
the Governor and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
transportation matters in 2024 and 2025.
SUMMARY
This resolve establishes the Task Force to Recommend Strategies to Achieve the Goal 
of Eliminating Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries.