Resolve, To Expand Commuter and Passenger Rail Transportation in Maine

Sec. 1. Task force established. Resolved: That the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-F, subsection 16, shall establish and convene the Maine Commuter and Passenger Rail Advisory Task Force, referred to in this resolve as "the task force," to evaluate and prioritize investments in commuter and passenger rail service between communities in this State in order to expedite development of efficient commuter rail service as appropriate in the major economic and population centers in this State to reduce costs to the State, its municipalities and its citizens of travel to and from work, business activities and entertainment and recreation activities; and be it further

Sec. 2. Task force membership. Resolved: That the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority shall invite the participation of the following persons on the task force:

1. Three regional transportation planners, one each from greater Portland, Lewiston-Auburn and Bangor;

2. Three representatives of major private employers, one each from greater Portland, Lewiston-Auburn and Bangor, each representing a different employer;

3. Two representatives of groups that have expertise in rail transit in this State;

4. One representative of the Department of Transportation who has experience in rail planning;

5. One representative who has experience in transit services that are complementary to rail service;

6. Two representatives of statewide environmental organizations;

7. A representative of a contracting company in this State with expertise and experience in the construction of rail line facilities; and

8. Three interested citizens of this State who are informed with respect to rail service issues.

A representative of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority shall serve on the task force; and be it further

Sec. 3. Duties. Resolved: That the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority shall convene the task force to meet at least once a month to develop a Maine commuter and passenger rail plan, referred to in this resolve as "the plan." The task force shall research and identify investment priorities for the establishment of commuter and passenger rail service between communities in this State. The plan must be based on existing studies and analyses. The plan must identify the markets and infrastructure and the potential to remove automobile traffic from excessively used roadways. The plan must also provide for the reduction of highway construction and maintenance costs and ways to limit the need for parking facilities, as well as reducing road congestion and lessening transportation costs for citizens living in cities in this State. The commuter rail investment priorities identified by the task force must be included in the plan. The task force shall recommend and include in the plan routes for passenger and commuter rail development; projected operational and capital investment costs; logistical issues; requirements for equipment, operators and track upgrades; and proposed sources of funding. The task force shall make recommendations regarding connections at rail terminal sites linking to bus transit and bicycle, trail and pedestrian access points and routes to destinations from terminals. The task force shall include in the plan total cost estimates and environmental and service quality comparisons to other transportation investments for achieving similar results. These comparisons must include a comparison of rail service to the continued reliance on private motor vehicles and bus service, including the costs of road and bridge construction and maintenance; and be it further

Sec. 4. Staff assistance. Resolved: That the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority shall provide necessary staffing services to the task force; and be it further

Sec. 5. Compensation. Resolved: That the members of the task force serve without compensation or reimbursement of expenses; and be it further

Sec. 6. Report. Resolved: That the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority shall report the findings and the plan of the task force to the Department of Transportation and the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation no later than December 31, 2011. The Joint Standing Committee on Transportation may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature on the subject matter of the report.

SUMMARY

This resolve directs the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to establish and convene the Maine Commuter and Passenger Rail Advisory Task Force to evaluate and prioritize investments in commuter and passenger rail service between communities in this State in order to expedite development of efficient commuter rail service as appropriate in the major economic and population centers in this State to reduce costs to the State, its municipalities and its citizens of travel to and from work, business activities and entertainment and recreation activities. The task force must develop a Maine commuter and passenger rail plan, which must include investment priorities for the establishment of commuter and passenger rail service between communities in this State. The plan must be based on existing studies and analyses that explore the markets and infrastructure and the potential to remove automobile traffic from excessively used roadways. The plan must also provide for the reduction of highway construction and maintenance costs and ways to limit the need for parking facilities as well as reducing road congestion and lessening transportation costs for citizens living in cities in this State. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority must report the findings and the plan of the task force to the Department of Transportation and the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation no later than December 31, 2011. The Joint Standing Committee on Transportation may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature on the subject matter of the report.