KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 17, 2023
L.D. 406 would create a “vision plan” for the four state-owned rail lines that terminate in Portland and in the equally fast-growing Brunswick area. These railroads were purchased through bond issues approved in the 1980s by lawmakers and voters to restore rail service when it became feasible. That moment may now have arrived. But a prominent naysayer has been the Maine Department of Transportation, which has shown no concern for expanding passenger rail networks. MDOT pits trail and rail supporters against each other. From the beginning, the potential for rail with trail should have been paramount; there’s already an example on the Lower Road from Gardiner to Augusta. Mainers should be able to rely on state transportation planners for a real vision of the state’s needs, not only today but for years to come. L.D. 406 will make sure MDOT provides that vision. ~ Tony Donovan, Maine Rail Transit Coalition