Maine Department of Transportation

Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT)
Agency overview
Formed1972
JurisdictionState of Maine
Headquarters24 Child Street, Augusta, Maine 04330
Parent agencyState of Maine
Websitehttps://www.maine.gov/mdot/

The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT (occasionally referred to as MDOT), is the office of state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads, rail, ferries, and other public transport infrastructure in the state of Maine. An exception is the Maine Turnpike, which is maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority. MaineDOT reports on the adequacy of roads, highways, and bridges in Maine. It also monitors environmental factors that affect the motor public such as stormwater, ice/snow buildup on roads, and crashes with moose. MaineDOT was founded in 1972 and replaced the former Maine State Highway Commission. [1]

Organization

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MaineDOT is an agency that consists of several offices:

  • Bureau of Planning
  • Bureau of Maintenance and Operations
  • Office of Passenger Transportation
  • Office of Freight Transportation
  • Office of Communications
  • Bureau of Project Development
  • Capital Resource Management
  • Transportation Service Center
  • Environmental Office
  • Office of Legal Services and Internal Audit
  • Safety Office
  • Contract Procurement Office
  • Office of Engineering Quality and Oversight

Road

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See List of Maine State Routes, Interstate 95 in Maine, U.S. Route 1 in Maine and U.S. Route 2 in Maine.

Rail

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MaineDOT owns hundreds of miles of railway track in the state, much of it acquired as the result of abandonment of rail on unprofitable lines by private carriers. The state does not itself operate a railway, instead leasing lines or engaging private contractors to operate on state-owned rails:

In 2012, MaineDOT sought an operator to restore passenger service on St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad tracks to Lewiston and Auburn, Maine."[5]

Ferry

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Maine state law requires MaineDOT to operate regular ferry routes, known as the Maine State Ferry Service, to specific island localities along Maine's Atlantic coast.[6] All ferries can carry passengers, vehicles, and freight. As of 2021, the service consists of six routes.[7]

Mainland terminus Island terminus Vessel(s) Distance Time
Rockland Ferry Terminal,
Rockland 		Vinalhaven[8] Captain Richard G. Spear, Captain E. Frank Thompson 15 mi (24 km) 1:15
North Haven[9] Captain Neal Burgess 12.5 mi (20.1 km) 1:10
Matinicus Isle[10] M/V Everett Libby 23 mi (37 km) 2:15
Lincolnville Islesboro[11] Margaret Chase Smith 3 mi (4.8 km) 0:20
Bass Harbor Swan's Island[12] M/V Captain Henry Lee 6 mi (9.7 km) 0:40
Frenchboro[13] 8.25 mi (13.28 km) 0:50

The law also provides for the Maine State Ferry Service Advisory Board,[14] which is charged with advising MaineDOT on all ferry-related matters and recommending changes via an annual report, as well as naming MaineDOT's ferry vessels and terminals.[15] The board is composed of one member from each island served by the ferries and three members appointed by the Commissioner of Transportation, each with two-year terms.[16][17]

Besides MaineDOT, coastal Maine is served by a number of other private and public ferry operators. A notable example is Casco Bay Lines, a non-profit created by emergency state legislation in 1981 to maintain ferry service between Portland and islands in the neighboring Casco Bay.[18]

References

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  1. ^ 59th Annual Report of the Maine State Highway Commission (Report). Maine State Highway Commission. 1972. p. 9-12.
  2. ^ "Maine reaches deal to buy imperiled rail lines". Trains Magazine. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  3. ^ downeastscenicrail.org
  4. ^ "Central Maine & Quebec to take over route of Maine Eastern". Trains Magazine. 2015-09-03.
  5. ^ "Construction Advertisement Plan". Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Title 23, §4401: Ferry service for North Haven, Vinalhaven, Islesboro, Matinicus Isle, Swan's Island and Frenchboro". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Maine State Ferry Service". www.maine.gov. MaineDOT. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Vinalhaven Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  9. ^ "North Haven Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Matinicus Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Islesboro Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Swan's Island Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Frenchboro Ferry". www.maine.gov. Maine State Ferry Service. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Title 23, §4301: Board established". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Title 23, §4304: Duties". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Title 23, §4302: Membership". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Maine State Ferry Service Advisory Board". www.maine.gov. MaineDOT. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  18. ^ "About". Casco Bay Lines. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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  • MaineDOT [1]
  • US Department of Transportation [2]

Sources

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  • Working with the MaineDOT: A Guide for Municipal Officials [3]
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