Maine Department of Transportation
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1913 |
| Jurisdiction | State of Maine |
| Headquarters | Augusta, Maine |
| Parent agency | State of Maine |
| Website | https://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 1913.
Organization
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
See List of Maine State Routes, Interstate 95 in Maine, U.S. Route 1 in Maine and U.S. Route 2 in Maine.
Rail
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:
- Former Bangor and Aroostook Railroad line abandoned by Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway:
- Madawaska to Millinocket, 233 miles (375 km) now state-owned / Irving-operated Maine Northern Railway[1]
- Former Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad line:
- 30 miles (48 km) of heritage line in Waldo County operating as Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railway
- Former Maine Central lines abandoned by Guilford:
- Calais Branch from Bangor to Calais: mostly abandoned, but MaineDOT leases a 10-mile (16 km) segment between Brewer and Ellsworth to the Downeast Scenic Railroad.[2]
- Rockland Branch from Brunswick to Rockland. MaineDOT awarded a lease to the Central Maine and Quebec Railway in September 2015. Freight operations on the branch began on January 1, 2016.[3]
In 2012, MaineDOT sought an operator to restore passenger service on St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad tracks to Lewiston and Auburn, Maine."[4]
Ferry
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.[5] All ferries can carry passengers, vehicles, and freight. As of 2021, the service consists of six routes.[6]
| Mainland terminus | Island terminus | Vessel(s) | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland | Vinalhaven | Captain Charles Philbrook, Captain E. Frank Thompson | 15 mi (24 km) | 1:15 |
| North Haven | Captain Neal Burgess | 12.5 mi (20.1 km) | 1:10 | |
| Matinicus Isle | M/V Everett Libby | 23 mi (37 km) | 2:15 | |
| Bass Harbor | Swan's Island | M/V Captain Henry Lee | 6 mi (9.7 km) | 0:40 |
| Frenchboro | 8.25 mi (13.28 km) | 0:50 | ||
| Lincolnville | Islesboro | Margaret Chase Smith | 3 mi (4.8 km) | 0:20 |
The law also provides for the Maine State Ferry Service Advisory Board,[7] 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.[8] 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.[9][10]
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.[11]
References
- ^ "Maine reaches deal to buy imperiled rail lines". Trains Magazine. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ downeastscenicrail.org
- ^ "Central Maine & Quebec to take over route of Maine Eastern". Trains Magazine. 2015-09-03.
- ^ "Construction Advertisement Plan". Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "Title 23, §4401: Ferry service for North Haven, Vinalhaven, Islesboro, Matinicus Isle, Swan's Island and Frenchboro". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Maine State Ferry Service". www.maine.gov. MaineDOT. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Title 23, §4301: Board established". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Title 23, §4304: Duties". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Title 23, §4302: Membership". legislature.maine.gov. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Maine State Ferry Service Advisory Board". www.maine.gov. MaineDOT. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "About". Casco Bay Lines. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
External links
Sources
- Working with the MaineDOT: A Guide for Municipal Officials [3]
