Code of Maine Rules › 17 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › 229 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - GENERAL › Chapter 103 - RULES FOR THE SENSIBLE TRANSPORTATION POLICY ACT › Subchapter I - Maine Department of Transportation › Section 229-103-I-7 - SIGNIFICANT TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Introduction
Whether initiated by MaineDOT, MPOs, municipalities or
					 others, all planning for significant transportation projects shall adhere to
					 the requirements of the Sensible Transportation Policy Act (STPA). Before
					 funding a significant transportation project, the STPA requires that the
					 department evaluate the full range of reasonable transportation strategies to
					 address the transportation need. Both STPA and the National Environmental
					 Policy Act (NEPA) require that MaineDOT identify and develop strategies that
					 are context sensitive and minimize adverse affects to environmental quality. In
					 an effort to streamline and integrate the federal and state decision-making
					 processes, MaineDOT will perform the STPA strategy evaluation process in
					 coincident with undertaking the NEPA planning and decision-making
					 process.
Land use and transportation decisions are interdependent.
					 The STPA policies require consideration of land use impacts from transportation
					 investments and consistency with the purposes, goals and policies of the
					 Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act. NEPA requires analysis of
					 secondary and cumulative impacts from transportation actions. Before taking any
					 action that adds transportation capacity, the Department and MPO's may consider
					 or recommend potential land use strategies to be adopted by municipalities
					 whose effect would be to preserve corridor capacity, manage corridor mobility,
					 protect public investment in infrastructure and public services, and foster
					 transportation-efficient land uses that combat the public costs of sprawl.
					 Because neither MaineDOT nor the MPOs have land use authority, these agencies
					 shall work in partnership with municipalities to achieve such goals.
This rule is intended to require a corridor planning and
					 development process such that a series of individual transportation improvement
					 projects, when viewed comprehensively, are evaluated in accordance with this
					 section to determine if they increase capacity.In addition, this rule calls for
					 an evaluation of strategies when existing highway features, such as breakdown
					 lanes, auxiliary lanes, and sidewalks are considered for conversion to through
					 lanes.
B.
Transportation Strategy Evaluation
When a transportation need or deficiency has been
					 identified through the transportation planning process and that need or
					 deficiency results in a potential significant transportation project,
					 MaineDOT's planning process will evaluate a full range of reasonable
					 transportation strategies before funding the improvement. The strategies to be
					 considered will include:
(1) New
				  facilities and services, including different modes of transportation or
				  combinations of modes that could reasonably meet identified transportation
				  needs. The different modes of transportation that should be included where
				  appropriate under the strategy evaluation include but are not limited to:
(a) Highway and bridge
(b) Passenger and freight air services and
				  facilities
(c) Transit
				  services
(d) Rideshare
				  options
(e) Ferry service or
				  cargo/passenger port improvements
(f) Freight and passenger rail services and
				  facilities
(g) Bicycle
				  facilities
(h) Pedestrians
				  facilities
(i) Intermodal
				  facilities
(j) Tolling