Federal Bill Benefits Maine Communities

As was featured in the last Maine Cyclist (click here), the federal transportation bill SAFETEA-LU (Safe Affordable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act-a Legacy for Users) was passed by Congress this summer and signed into law by President Bush. All of Maine's delegation worked very hard in support of the bill, especially the bicycling and walking provisions including the new Safe Routes to School program. Safe Routes to School will bring in a total of $5 million over the next 5 years and will be applied to many communities statewide. (MaineDOT will be releasing a request for proposals sometime late this year or early in 2006.) Other programs that benefit bicycling and walking, such as the Enhancements program, will also direct millions to Maine each year. But a new sign of bicycling's political clout was evident in the millions for bicycle and pedestrian "High Priority Projects" or earmarks that Maine's congressional delegation prioritized. (In the last Transportation bill, TEA-21, there were zero bike/ped "High Priority Projects".)

A total of eight projects received earmark appropriations, totaling nearly $7 million, and are spread out in communities across the state. Now written into law through the passage of the transportation bill, it is up to the communities and MaineDOT to get the projects going as soon as possible to start drawing down the funds.

One of the biking high-priority projects funded is a bicycle and pedestrian bridge for Orono. This proposed 600-foot bridge to cross the Stillwater River will connect existing trails, the Maine Technology Park, Bennock Road, and a residential area to the University of Maine campus. This will also bypass the narrow and busy bridge on Stillwater Avenue. The $1 million appropriation will help Orono and UMaine develop a facility that will dramatically improve bicycling transportation and recreation opportunities for the community and region. It may also serve as a showcase for the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center at the University of Maine which submitted ideas and estimates for a suspension bridge using their wood composite materials in the design. The vision for this bridge has been gaining support over the past decade, and now thanks to leadership by our congressional delegation it has funding!

Other projects listed in the bill include:

• Pedestrian walkway on the new Waldo-Hancock Bridge
• Penobscot riverfont development including bicycle trails
• Eastern Trail
• Improvement to the Interconnecting Trail System for bike/ped trails near Baxter State Park
• Kennebec River Rail Trail (phase 3)
• Improvements for statewide bike and pedestrian projects

This transportation bill was a huge success for bicycling and walking as there were no bicycle and pedestrian high-priority projects in earlier transportation bills. BCM member Tony Barrett, who is also a Trustee of the East Coast Greenway and trails advocate, led the efforts to get these important projects around the state included by Maine's congressional delegation in their earmark requests. Congressman Michaud's membership on the Transportation Committee was also key for many of the projects' inclusions. "We are so grateful to the Senators and Congressmen for their support, to their staff for their patience as we worked through this process and especially to Tony Barrett for his incredible leadership and successful advocacy," says BCM's Director Jeffrey Miller. BCM representatives also lobbied for the projects as part of their meetings with the congressional delegates and their staff as part of the National Bike Summit in March and in field office meetings.

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