Resolve, to Require the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0029
Committee Amendment CA_A_S44 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^ " to S.P. 46, L.D. 29, "Resolve, to Require the
Department of Transportation to Implement the Recommendations of the Lower Road Rail
Use Advisory Council"
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting die following;
'Resolve, to Require the Department of Transportation to Implement the
Recommendations of the Lower Road Rail Use Advisory Couucil and the Calais
Branch Rail Use Advisory Council'
Amend the resolve in the preamble by inserting after the 5th paragraph the following:
'Whereas, the Department of Transportation received letters of support from
communities along the section of the state-owned rail corridor known as the Calais Branch
requesting the formation of a rail corridor use advisory council; and
Whereas, the Calais Branch Rail Use Advisory Council convened and met over a
period of 8 months in 2024 ; and
Whereas, 10 of tlie 11 Calais Branch Rail Use Advisory Council members, with one
member abstaining, voted to recommend the interim conversion of the existing railroad
track to a multi-use trail; and'
Amend the resolve by inserting after section 1 the following:
'See. 2. Calais Branch rail trail recommendation. Resolved: That, consistent
with the majority recommendation of the Calais Branch Rail Use Advisory Council and
pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 7107, the Department of
Transportation shall remove 12,26 miles of state-owned inactive existing railroad teack
along the section known as the Calais Branch from the Route 214 intersection in Ayers
Junction in the Town of Pembroke to Route 1 in the City of Calais and replace the track
with a multi-use trail on the existing rail bed. The completed multi-use frail is interim in
. nature, and the project to create the multi-use trail is subject to available funding resources,
permitting and municipal agreements.'
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
^)<0 COMMm-EE AMENDMENT " ^ " to S.P, 46, L.D. 29 (.5" ^
Amend the resolve by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or
section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the maj ority report of the committee, adds a provision to the
bill directing the Department of Transportation, subject to available funding resources,
permitting and municipal agreements, to remove state-owned inactive existing railroad
track along the section known as the Calais Branch from the Route 214 intersection in
Ayers Junction in the Town of Pembroke to Route 1 in the City of Calais and to replace the
track with an interim multi-use trail on the existing rail bed,
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
Page2-l32fcR0134(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Revised: 04/29/25 t'f<l^
LD 29 LR 134(02)
Resolve, to Require the Department of Transportation to Implement the Recommendations of the
Lower Road Rail Use Advisory Council
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ^.'Y$' <Y//
Committee! Transportation
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium cost increase - Highway Fund
Potential current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Fund
Potential current biennium revenue increase - Highway Fund
Potential current biennium revenue increase - Federal Expendihires Fund
I
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill requires the Department of Transportation, subject to available funding , permitting and municipal
agreements, to remove 12,26 miles of inactive track material from the Route 214 intersection in Ayers Junction in
Pembroke to Route 1 in Calais and replace the track with a multi-use trail, It also requires the Department, subject to
funding, permitting and municipal agreements, to remove inactive railroad track along the section known as the Lower
Road behveen the Town ofBrunswick and the City ofHallowell and replace the track with an interim bicycle and
pedestrian trail. Currently no funding exists for these purposes.
LR0134(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of I