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-4 - PLANNING, POLICY OBJECTIVES, REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Introduction
Adequate, safe and efficient transportation facilities and
					 services are essential to the economy and well being of the State. These
					 facilities and services should serve the diverse mobility needs of the State
					 and should be planned and developed through effective public participation.
					 Transportation and land use planning should be integrated with social,
					 environmental, and economic objectives and coordinated with local, regional and
					 statewide planning efforts to address environmental quality objectives.
					 Planning for these facilities and services should be done to improve
					 transportation system efficiency, improve the efficiency of vehicles and
					 vehicle usage, and reduce waste and unnecessary energy use.
MaineDOT is the state agency charged with the overall
					 responsibility for balanced transportation policy and planning. Implementation
					 of MaineDOT's plans and policies is achieved through a continuing planning
					 process which creates and maintains a long-range, multimodal statewide
					 transportation plan, a mid-range transportation improvement plan, and
					 associated transportation improvement program.
Under the umbrella of transportation planning several
					 levels of effort are commonly found, namely: statewide systems planning,
					 regional planning, corridor planning and project planning. It is important to
					 note that each of these planning activities may involve different levels of
					 complexity and require different levels of public involvement. The complexity
					 of these planning activities requires integration of public input early and
					 often from diverse sources at the regional and local levels. MaineDOT
					 collaborates with the Regional Councils (RCs) who, as partners, play a vital
					 role in ensuring the integration of public input and regional needs in
					 MaineDOT's planning process. RCs are uniquely equipped to assist in soliciting
					 coordinating and summarizing public input to MaineDOT's planning activities.
					 The results of RC-led public involvement activities are incorporated into the
					 Department's overall transportation plans.
B.
Policy Objectives
The following policy objectives shall be used by MaineDOT,
					 MPOs, RCs and municipalities in making transportation planning, capital
					 investment and project development decisions:
(1) Minimize the harmful effects of
				  transportation on public health, air and water quality, land use and natural
				  resources.
(2) Coordinate the
				  efficient use of all available and potential future modes of
				  transportation.
(3) Give preference
				  to non-highway new capacity projects before building new highway capacity when
				  such non-highway new capacity projects are cost effective, feasible and meet
				  the identified purpose and need for the transportation investment.
(4) Repair, maintain and improve Maine's
				  transportation system to provide a safe, efficient, and adequate transportation
				  network.
(5) Reduce the state's
				  reliance on foreign oil and promote reliance on energy efficient forms of
				  transportation.
(6) Meet the
				  diverse transportation needs of the people of the State, including rural and
				  urban populations and the unique mobility needs of the elderly and
				  disabled.
(7) Be consistent with
				  the purposes, goals and policies of the Comprehensive Planning and Land Use
				  Regulation Act.
(8) Incorporate a
				  public participation process in which state, regional and local governmental
				  bodies and the public have timely notice and opportunity to identify and
				  comment on concerns related to transportation planning decisions, capital
				  investment decisions and project decisions.
(9)
				   Promote investment incentives for communities that adopt and
				  implement land use plans that minimize over-reliance on the state highway
				  network.
(10) Be cost effective and
				  operate within fiscal constraints.