LD 193Maine needs $10.7 million to pay for and complete 39 backlogged bicycle and pedestrian projects like sidewalks, bike paths, and multi-use trails.

bikemaine.orgAbby King, Advocacy Coordinator, Bicycle Coalition of Maineabby@bikemaine.org | 207-956-6538

Funding Backlogged Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Projects

The Maine Department of Transportation does not have enough money to pay for improvements that would make communities across Maine safer and more welcoming for biking and walking.

The MaineDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program has a backlog of 39 pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects that is has already approved, but cannot fund. LD 193 would fund the entire backlog of projects.

The persistent backlog means that communities all over Maine continue to wait for projects that have been chosen as worthy of funding.

Twenty projects in the backlog, totaling $5.7 million, are shovel-ready. They have already been designed or funded for design by MaineDOT and simply await construction funds. (See Table 1.)

Nineteen projects in the backlog, totaling $4.9 million, are still waiting for funding for design and construction. (See Table 2.)

Over and above these projects, there are five multi-use paths across the state that need funding to be completed or expanded. These projects have already been studied and in some cases designed. Yet some have been waiting for construction funds for 15 years. These types of facilities are more expensive to build and there is virtually no funding available for them.

Maine’s supply of funds is wholly inadequate to meet growing demand• In 2012, the U.S. Congress cut dedicated funding for walking and biking projects in Maine by 47%. • MaineDOT receives approximately $4.5 million every two years in federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. • Each year, MaineDOT can only meet, at most, 10% of the demand for stand-alone bike/ped projects. In 2012, 92 communities applied for a competitive grant for bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure projects. These proposed projects totaled $45 million. • Cuts to Municipal Revenue Sharing have forced towns to do more with shrinking budgets, making them more reliant on competitive federal monies awarded by MaineDOT.

For an interactive map of all 39 unfunded projects, please visit:https://batchgeo.com/map/bikepedbond

Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects create jobs in Maine. Building biking and walking infrastructure creates more jobs for Mainers than projects for cars alone. An average bicycle project creates 3.6 more jobs per $1 million invested than a car-only project.1 Small projects like sidewalks and bike paths are labor intensive and more likely to be contracted to local construction companies rather than larger out-of-state firms.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is a statewide organization that works at the local, state, and federal levels to improve the bicycling and walking conditions of Maine communities. We advocate for changes that protect the rights of people who walk and bike, increase their safety, and encourage more to join their ranks. These efforts help Maine sustain a vibrant economy, a clean environment, and a healthy workforce.

LD 193 Creates Jobs, Improves Transportation Safety and Access, and Benefits Communities All Across Maine

1 Garrett-Peltier, Heidi, “Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impact,” Political Economy Research Institute University of Massachusetts, Amherst, June 2011, p. 1, Accessed 2/5/15 at http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.362.5819&rep=rep1&type=pdf 2 Maine Department of Transportation, “State of Maine Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash History 2009 – 2013,” accessed 12/3/14 at http://www.maine.gov/mdot/traffic/documents/2014/crashdata/Peds_BikescrashPublication09-13.pdf3 FHWA, An Analysis of Factors Contributing to "Walking Along Roadway" Crashes: Research Study and Guidelines for Sidewalks and Walkways. Report No. FHWA-RD-01-101, FHWA, Washington D.C., 2001.4 Reynolds, Connor CO et al. “The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature” Environmental Health. October 2009. P. 17. Accessed 2/6/15 at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1476-069X-8-47.pdf 5 INPIRG, “Transportation and the New Generation.” Accessed 12/3/14 at http://inpirg.org/reports/transportation-and-new-generation6 AARP Public Policy Institute, “Analysis of the National Household Travel Survey,” accessed 12/3/14 at http://www.aarp.org/research/ppi/liv-com2/resources/nhts-AARP-ppi-liv-com/

References

More people are choosing to bike and walk – they need safe places to do so. Over 1,300 pedestrians and over 1,000 bicyclists were hit by cars in Maine from 2009 - 2013.2 Of those hit, 55 pedestrians and 6 bicyclists were killed. In 2014 alone, 12 pedestrians and 2 bicyclists were killed. Many are hit while walking on or adjacent to the road in a place without sidewalks.

Sidewalks, multi-use paths, and similar facilities improve safety. Providing walkways separated from the travel lanes could help to prevent up to 88 percent of pedestrian deaths that occur when the pedestrian is walking in the road.3 Bicyclists who travel on bike lanes and bike paths have a lower risk of crashing and being injured than those that ride on the road with traffic.4

Mainers need access to alternative transportation. Americans are driving less than they used to, and young people are leading this trend. Vehicle miles driven by people aged 16 – 34 decreased by 23% from 2001 to 2009.5 Older Americans need safe transportation options like biking and walking. Over 17% of Maine’s population is 65 or older and about 21% of Americans 65 or older do not drive.6

Maine’s Current Supply of Funds Can’t Keep Up With Growing Demand. In 2012, the U.S. Congress cut dedicated funding for walking and biking projects in Maine by 47%. MaineDOT receives approximately $2.2 million every year in federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. This funding is only enough to meet, at most, 10% of the demand that Maine communities have for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

20 Projects Are Already Designed or Funded For Design

TABLE 1 Municipality County

Funding

Needed For Project Description Funding

Needed

Augusta Kennebec Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Improvements connecting the Farrington Elementary School to the Augusta Middle and High School Complex.

$137,024

Bangor Penobscot Construction Sidewalks and crosswalk improvements along Hogan Road, Longview Drive, and Stillwater Ave.

$144,518

Ellsworth Hancock Construction Sidewalk on Route 1A and connecting Birch Ave to Church St

$300,400

Farmington Franklin Construction Sidewalk to fill gap on Farmington Falls Road and Main Street

$91,165

Gardiner Kennebec Construction Multi-Use Path for the Cobbossee Stream Trail connecting the KRRT to Route 126

$1,136,000

Gorham Cumberland Construction Multi-Use Path connecting downtown Gorham to neighborhoods along a discontinued RR bed. Including connections to sidewalks.

$576,800

Kennebunk York Construction Drainage and Pedestrian Improvements on Factory Pasture Lane and Depot Street.

$208,000

Lubec Washington Construction Sidewalks on Washington Street $157,400 Norway Oxford Construction Sidewalks to connect the Oxford Hills

Comprehensive School to the Gouin Athletic Field Complex

$102,400

Orrington Penobscot Construction Sidewalks on Route 15 $528,603

Phillips Franklin Construction Sidewalks on Main Street $241,782

Raymond Cumberland Construction Sidewalks on Main Street $125,382

Rockland Knox Construction Sidewalks connecting downtown to the library, nursing home, and community rec. building

$53,243

Sanford York Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements at Willard Elementary and Sanford Junior High.

$165,600

Scarborough Cumberland Construction Sidewalks on Gorham Road and Crosswalks at the Route 1/Gorham Road Intersection

$442,960

Searsport Waldo Construction Sidewalks on Prospect Street connecting residential neighborhoods to Route 3

$314,400

Standish Cumberland Construction Sidewalks connecting Route 25 and Route 25 to Colonial Marketplace and the elementary school.

$556,980

Waterboro York Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements connecting neighborhoods, sport fields, and the Middle School.

$375,700

Waterville Kennebec Construction Sidewalks at Inland Hospital connecting to Kennedy Drive and Wilkes Street

$69,600

Wilton Franklin Construction Closing a Gap in The Sidewalks on Main Street $50,030

TOTAL

$5,777,987

TABLE 2 Municipality County

Funding

Needed For Project Description Funding

Needed Bangor Penobscot Design and

Construction Bicycle and Pedestrian connection from Sylvan Road to Stillwater Ave

$513,278

Bangor Penobscot Design and Construction

Sidewalk on Finson Road, Phase 3 of Downeast School sidewalk improvements

$122,483

Bath Sagadahoc Design and Construction

Sidewalk on Oak Grove Ave and Judkins Ave $152,710

Bath Sagadahoc Design and Construction

Design for a Multi-Use Path connecting Brunswick Bike/Ped Path to Bath and West Bath

$160,000

Bethel Oxford Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Main Street $33,391

Calais Washington Design and Construction

Sidewalk, curb ramps, and crossing safety improvements from Garfield Street to Calais Elementary

$97,582

Camden Knox Design and Construction

Sidewalks and some curb extensions along Washington, Bay View, and Commercial Streets

$491,314

Kingfield Franklin Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Route 142 $124,859

Limerick York Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Main Street $127,920

Limestone Aroostook Design and Construction

Sidewalks on High Street to connect the Maine School of Math to Rt 89, on Huggard Ave, and on Main Street to connect Rt 89 to Albert Michaud Park.

$184,561

Monmouth Kennebec Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Route 132 $257,592

Portland Cumberland Design and Construction

Design for a bicycle and pedestrian connection between Tukeys Bridge and the Martins Point Bridge

$120,000

Presque Isle

Aroostook Design and Construction

Bicycle and Pedestrian connection on Loop Road to connect sidewalks to an existing path near Peace Park

$127,368

Richmond Sagadahoc Design and Construction

Rail with Trail connecting Main Street to High Street and Lincoln Street

$1,060,470

Sanford York Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Pleasant Street connecting to Carl Lamb School

$134,502

Swans Island

Hancock Design and Construction

Light tower repair and restoration at Coat Harbor Light Station

$331,482

Tremont Hancock Design and Construction

Sidewalks on Route 102 connecting Tremont Consolidated School to Route 102

$82,400

Vassalboro Kennebec Design and Construction

Sidewalks in East Vassalboro Village $685,040

Winslow Kennebec Design and Construction

Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail to connect Winslow High School to Kidder Street

$111,920

TOTAL

$4,918,873

19 Projects Need Funding For Design and Construction