Purpose & Goal
This chapter outlines a framework for working with municipalities to preserve and manage mobility and safety of the transportation system. The goal is to promote cooperative transportation management efforts between the state and its municipalities that sustain and enhance the functional and design life of transportation facilities and thus make for wise use of public investments. The use of these rules is required in order for MaineDOT to support the State Planning Office (SPO) in a finding of consistency for new or updated transportation chapters of comprehensive plans. Municipalities that collaborate on planning using these rules shall be eligible for transportation planning assistance and other transportation investment incentives.
Plan Considerations
This section applies to all municipalities in Maine whether undergoing land use or transportation planning efforts on their own or in conjunction with other adjoining municipalities.
Municipalities are strongly encouraged to seek concurrence on the results of sections A and B with MaineDOT and their Regional Councils, and the Maine Turnpike Authority where applicable, before proceeding to develop Section C Transportation Vision, Goals, Policies and Strategies.
Whether as part of a new or updated single focused transportation plan or a new or updated transportation chapter within a Comprehensive Plan, municipalities shall include:
Minimum data required to address state goals:
Information on overall road condition and identify any deficiencies or concerns.
Location, condition, and estimated length of sidewalks, and road segments that provide space (paved shoulders) for bicycle access, by jurisdiction.
Identify potential off-road connections that would provide bicycle and pedestrian connections to neighborhoods, schools, waterfronts and other activity centers.
Identify major traffic (including pedestrian) generators, such as schools, large businesses, public gathering areas/activities etc. and related hours of operation.
Identify policies and standards for the design, construction and maintenance of public and private roads. Identify the location of private roads and assess their potential to become public roads.
Parking
List and locate municipal parking areas including size, condition, and usage.
Other Modes of Transportation
List and locate all airports within or adjacent to the community and describe applicable airport zoning and airspace protection ordinances in place.
Identify inter-local, fixed route, commuter and demand response bus or van services, including private or public operator information and local government involvement.
Coastal Communities only
Location of current and potential seaport terminals. Identify whether port is of local, regional or state significance, its ownership/management and use (type and quantity/frequency of goods shipped in or out). List land-side and water-side facilities associated with port.
Identify public ferry service and private boat transportation support facilities (may be covered under Marine Resources with cross reference) including related water-side (docks/piers/wharves) and land side (parking) facilities.
Environmental and Cultural Considerations
Location of evacuation routes identified in an emergency response plan, if applicable.
Identify areas with transportation related noise concerns.
Identify areas where inappropriate lighting affects transportation safety.
Identify and describe important scenic, historic, or cultural resources within or adjacent to transportation facilities that reflect community character, such as mature tree lines, rock walls, etc.
Known locations with opportunities to restore habitat connections disrupted by a transportation facility owned and maintained by the municipality.
Land Use
Identify current local land use management strategies (such as access management, zoning, density, minimum lot size standards) that enhance or detract from the safety and efficiency of the transportation system (including highway, air, bus, bike, pedestrian, marine and rail services.)
To generate minimum analyses to address state goals, use Conditions and Trends data in Section C below to answer the following questions.
What are the concerns for transportation system safety and efficiency in the community and region" What if any plans exist to address these concerns" For example:
What conflicts are caused by multiple road uses, such as a major state or U.S. route that passes through the community or its downtown and serves as a local service road as well"
Upon review of state and regional transportation plans, what are their impacts on your current and future community plans" What actions can the community take to address identified impacts"
How do the community's land use regulations mesh with the MaineDOT, regional, and local objectives for transportation system facilities in the community" If growth areas are located on arterial highways, how will growth in these areas affect the ability of the arterial to efficiently move traffic"
What is the community's schedule for regular investments in road maintenance and improvement" How are MaineDOT Urban-Rural Initiative Program (URIP) funds used to off-set municipal road improvement costs"
What concerns does your community have regarding its policies and standards for design, construction and maintenance of public and private local roads and bridges"
Parking
What are the parking issues in the community"
Do local parking standards promote development in desired areas or do they drive it to outlying areas"
How do local ordinances consider safety related to parking lot layout and circulation for vehicles, pedestrians and all other users"
What community investments are needed to expand or improve parking"
Other Modes of Transportation
What transit services are available to meet the current and future needs of community residents" If transit services are not adequate, how will the community address the needs"
If the community hosts a major transportation terminal, such as an airport, rail or ferry terminal, how does it connect to other transportation systems"
If the community hosts any public airports, what coordination has been undertaken to ensure that required airspace is protected now and in the future" How does the community coordinate with the owner(s) of private airports"
Coastal Communities only
What land-side and water-side transportation facilities are needed"
How does the community protect access to facilities for island travelers, currently and in the future"
How do the community's land use regulations mesh with MaineDOT, regional and local objectives for marine transportation facilities"
Environmental and Cultural Considerations
What, if any, environmental degradation caused by state or local transportation facilities or operations (e.g. wildlife mortality, habitat fragmentation, erosion, groundwater contamination, non-point source pollution) is occurring"
What are the community's objectives for preserving or protecting important identified scenic, historic, or cultural resources adjacent to transportation facilities"
How does the community address any transportation-related noise concerns"
What steps can the community take to encourage development to occur in a manner that minimizes transportation-related environmental impacts such as habitat fragmentation and/or vehicular CO2 emissions"
Land Use
How do local land use decisions affect safety, congestion, mobility, efficiency and interconnectivity of the transportation system"
How do existing land uses and development trends support or inhibit cost effective passenger transportation systems and the efficient use of freight rail systems"
How do existing and proposed major transportation facilities complement the community's vision"
Does the community have in place, or does it need to put into place, access management or traffic permitting measures" How do these measures correlate with MaineDOT's access management program and regulations for traffic permitting of large development"
How do the community's local road design standards support the type of village, suburban, or rural land use patterns the town wants"
Do planned or recently built subdivision roads (residential or commercial) simply dead-end or do they allow for expansion to adjacent land and encourage the creation of a network of local streets" Where dead-ends are unavoidable, are mechanisms in place to encourage shorter dead-ends resulting in compact and efficient subdivision designs"
Based upon sections A and B of Subchapter III, the Municipal Transportation Plan or Transportation Chapter in a Comprehensive Plan shall include:
A regional transportation vision statement;
Transportation goals or objectives.
Policies that address the objectives in Subchapter I, Section 4-B of this rule; at a minimum, the following policies shall be included to meet state transportation objectives:
A schedule of transportation and land use strategies designed to meet the goals and policies (implementation plan). At a minimum, the following strategies shall be included to meet state transportation objectives:
These minimum requirements in no way limit a community from expanding its plan to include additional information, analyses, policies, and strategies.
The language may be altered to better suit a community, but the specific intent of the minimum policy must remain. Altered policies must reflect the desired future direction of the community as stated in the community's vision statement.
Alternative strategies may be substituted for those included in this Chapter provided a rationale for the alternative strategy is detailed in the Self Assessment Checklist developed by the Maine State Planning Office. Alternative strategies will be considered by the MaineDOT to determine if they, in combination with the other strategies in the plan, address the goals of the Growth Management and Sensible Transportation Policy Acts.
New or updated comprehensive or long range land use plans developed in accordance with these guidelines, shall be submitted for review and findings in accordance with the rules for submission and review of municipal comprehensive plans administered by the State Planning Office. Municipal or multi-municipal transportation plans developed in accordance with these guidelines shall be submitted for review and findings by MaineDOT.
In order to be eligible for the Community Transportation Investment Incentives outlined in Subchapter III, Section 3 of this rule, MaineDOT, in consultation, with the State Planning Office, shall determine whether the plan meets the policies outlined in Subchapter I, Section 4-B and the requirements of Subchapter III Section 3.
Municipal transportation chapters or plans and related implementation mechanisms shall be reviewed, and if appropriate, updated at least every 5 years. If an update is not undertaken within 5 years, municipalities shall forward the review, with its conclusions and rationale for not undertaking an update, to MaineDOT. MaineDOT in consultation with SPO, shall issue a statement agreeing or disagreeing with municipal conclusions and rationale. In cases of disagreement, MaineDOT shall include in its statements, the basis for disagreement and recommendations for municipal action. Such disagreement may result in a MaineDOT finding of inconsistency for the transportation chapter or plan that could lead to loss of eligibility for transportation investment incentives outlined in Section 3. Subchapter III.
All plans or related implementation mechanisms adopted pursuant to Subchapter III of this rule must be based on a public involvement process.
17-229 C.M.R. ch. 103, § III-2