Your VOTE 2013: Question 3 Transportation

MAINE - This year there are five bond questions going before voters on November 5th, 2013 totaling
$182 million with interest. RCN America Network will break down each bond question.

Do you favor a $100,000,000 bond issue for reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities or equipment related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation and transit, to be used to match an estimated $154,000,000 in federal and other funds?

Below is a breakdown of where the money, if approved, will go.

Highways – Forty-four million dollars ($44,000,000) would be expended to reconstruct or rehabilitate state highways that have been designated as Priority 1, 2 or 3 by the Department of Transportation in accordance with the state statute (23 M.R.S. § 73(7)) that requires the Department to establish priorities, customer service levels and goals for capital improvements to the State’s public highways. Specific projects are identified in the Department’s Work Plan, which is published every year and is available at www.mainedot.gov.  It is anticipated that these bond proceeds would make the State eligible for approximately forty-eight million dollars ($48,000,000) in federal matching funds.

Secondary roads – Five million dollars ($5,000,000) would be used to repair secondary roads in partnership with municipalities pursuant to the existing Municipal Partnership Initiatives program described on the Department’s web site at www.maine.gov/mdot/csd/mlrc/mpi.htm), and the Secondary Road Program established in statute (23 M.R.S. § 1803-C).  Both programs generally require municipalities to contribute 50% or more of the project costs.  Accordingly, these bond proceeds are expected to be matched by approximately five million dollars ($5,000,000) in local funds from the participating municipalities.

Bridges – Twenty-seven million dollars ($27,000,000) would be expended to replace or rehabilitate existing bridges.  Specific projects are outlined in the Department’s Work Plan, as noted above.  These funds are expected to make the State eligible for approximately $30,000,000 in federal funds.


Multi-modal projects – Twenty-four million dollars ($24,000,000) would be spent on a variety of projects, including facilities and equipment related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, aviation, railroads (both passenger and freight), and transit (public transportation), as well as acquisition of property and capital improvements at the International Marine Terminal in Portland.  The investment of these bond proceeds is expected to generate up to fifty-two million dollars ($52,000,000) in federal funds and up to nineteen million dollars ($19,000,000) in local and private funds.