An Act to Establish
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1756
Committee Amendment CA_A_H706 (House)
Amends: 23 MRSA §4209-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"~,, to H.P. 1174, L.D. 1756, "An Act to Establish 
a Statewide Transportation Project Sefec)ion Prioritization Process" 
• 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1. 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 3, 4 and 5 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 23 MRSA §4209-B is enacted to read: 
§4209-B. Transportation project selection prioritization 
1. Transportation project selection prioritization process. The department and the 
Maine Turnpike Authority shall develop and manage a statewide transportation project 
selection prioritization process, referred to in this section as "the prioritization process." 
The prioritization process must: 
A. Be used for evaluation of projects administered in accordance with federal 
transportation requirements and, in cooperation with municipalities, counties and other 
planning organizations within the State, for funds allocated to the department and the 
Maine Turnpike Authority: 
B. Be used for the development of any plan for a project created by the department or 
the Maine Turnpike Authority: 
• 
C. Take into consideration, at a minimum, highway, transit, rail, roadway, active 
transportation and technology operations improvements and transportation demand 
management strategies: and 
D. Score and rank all proposed projects based on an objective and quantifiable analysis 
factoring public input of projects proposed for funding using the State's key goals listed 
in long-term transportation plans. Key goals include, but are not limited to: 
(1) Safe travel with priority on avoiding crashes that cause death or serious injury 
and protecting vulnerable users as defined in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 
91-A: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~os 
COMMITTEEAMENDMENT'A"toH.P.1174,L.D.1756 
(2) A well-managed transportation system measured by reliability and system 
condition: 
(3) A guality of life measured by economic impact analysis, including the health 
of the State's downtowns and villages: 
(4) Environmentally sustainable transportation systems measured by greenhouse 
gas emissions from the transportation systems and effects on lands and waters. 
including. but not limited to, storm water runoff and heat island effects: and 
(5) Equitable access measured by consideration of access to jobs and essential 
services. particularly for low-income households. Accessibility must be measured 
using a peer-reviewed, data-informed tool. 
2. Exclusions. The prioritization process may not apply to: 
A. Projects in which funding is related to in-kind repair or replacement of existing 
traffic control devices or asset management, including. but not limited to. bridge 
rehabilitation, bridge-only bridge replacement projects, pavement repair or 
replacement and guardrail repair or replacement: and 
B. Projects that replace bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including, but not limited to, 
sidewalks, shared-use paths or bicycle lanes. Projects under this paragraph must have 
their designs upgraded from substandard to standard unless other funds are leveraged 
for the bicycle and pedestrian components. 
3. Report. The department and the Maine Turnpike Authority shall each submit a 
report on the prioritization process, including a list of all scores and rankings of proposed 
projects and how ihe weights of goals under subsection 1, paragraph D were applied, by 
January 15th of each year to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters. The report must be made 
publicly available on the department's publicly accessible website and the authority's 
publicly accessible website. 
4. Selection of projects. Beginning July 1, 2026, the department and the Maine 
Turnpike Authority shall select projects for funding pursuant to subsection 1. 
Sec. 4. Development of prioritization process. In developing the statewide 
transportation project selection prioritization process under the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 23, section 4209-B, the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike 
Authority must: 
1. Weigh key goals under Title 23, section 4209-B, subsection 1, paragraph D for each 
of the State's federally designated planning organization regions. For purposes of this 
section, the prioritization process may assign different weights to each key goal, within 
each region, based on the unique needs and characteristics of the region; and 
2. Solicit input from municipalities, counties and other planning organizations, transit 
operators, environmental groups, active transportation groups, economic development 
groups and other stakeholders in the development of the prioritization process. 
Sec. 5, 
Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~oC:J 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"~" to H.P. 1174, L.D. 1756 
Highway and Bridge Capital 0406 
Initiative: Provides funding for computer software and ongoing maintenance to track 
projects as well as grant funds for municipal and regional planning organizations. 
IDGHW AY FUND 
2025-26 
All Other 
$1,250,000 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
Highway and Bridge Capital 0406 
$1,250,000 
2026-27 
$1,000,000 
$1,000,000 
Initiative: Provides funding for 2 Public Service Coordinator I positions and related costs 
to implement and administer the transportation project selection prioritization process. 
IDGHW AY FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
IDGHWAYFUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2025-26 
2,000 
$308,725 
$10,000 
$318,725 
2025-26 
$1,568,725 
$1,568,725 
2026-27 
2.000 
$321,628 
$10,000 
$331,628 
2026-27 
$1,331,628 
$1,331,628 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes the creation in the bill of the Transportation Project Selection 
Council and specifies that the statewide transportation project selection prioritization 
process is developed and managed by the Department of Transportation and the Maine 
Turnpilce Authority, rather than the Transportation Project Selection Council. The 
amendment also requires, in developing the prioritization process, the department and the 
Maine Turnpike Authority to weigh key goals under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, 
section 4209-B, subsection 1, paragraph D for each of the State's federally designated 
planning organization regions; solicit input from municipalities, counties and other 
planning organizations, transit operators, environmental groups, active transportation 
groups, economic development groups and other stakeholders in the development of the 
prioritization process; and make public, in an accessible format updated at least annually, 
a report with the results of the application of the prioritization process to projects, including 
how the weights of key goals were applied. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A" to H.P. 1174, L.D. 1756 
The amendment requires, beginning July 1, 2026, the Department of Transportation 
and the Maine Turnpike Authority to select projects based on the statewide transportation 
project selection prioritization process under Title 23, section 4209-B. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/03/25 L-RL-
LD 1756 
LR 1653(02) 
An Act to Establish a Statewide Transportation Project Selection Prioritization Process 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'JI\" /H 7+-/ \ 
• 
Committee: Transportation 
h ( f ..--
ll \tJ) 
Net Cost (Savings) 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Highway Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
· 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2025-26 
$1,568,725 
$1,568,725 
FY 2026-27 
$1,331,628 
$1,331,628 
Projections 
FY 2027-28 
$1,334,844 
$1,334,844 
Projections 
FY 2028-29 
$1,338,093 
$1,338,093 
The bill includes Highway Fund allocations to the Department ofTransp01iation of $1,568,725 in fiscal year 2025-26 
and $1,331,628 in fiscal year 2026-27 for 2 Public Service Coordinator I positions and related costs and computer 
software and ongoing maintenance to track projects as well as grant funds for municipal and regional planning 
organizations to hi1plement and administer the transportation project selection prioritization process. 
LRl 653(02) - Fiscal Note~ Page 1 of 1