WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW TO PREVENT RAILS IN MAINE FROM BEING TORN UP FOR TRAILS!
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- Created: 22 May 2023 22 May 2023
Last Thursday, the Transportation Committee of the Maine legislature held public hearings on LD 209 (seeking to rip up the rails on the State-owned rail line between Portland Auburn formerly held by the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad), and LD 404 (seeking to tear up the rails on the State-owned Mountain Division line between Standish and Fryeburg), and their replacement by trails, as well as on LD 1450 (seeking the appropriation of $18 million to fund the removal of track from the Mountain Division and its replacement with a trail). Many rail and trail advocates testified at those hearings, with testimony not ending until around 6 p.m. TrainRiders, of course, testified against passage, a position that has been unanimously adopted by its board of directors.
Starting at 10 a.m. this Wednesday, 5/24/2023, the Transportation Committee will hold a work session on these bills. The bills will be discussed without public participation unless the Committee wants to make an inquiry of someone in attendance at the session. In all likelihood, the Committee will vote on the bills at the end of the work session. If the Committee is unanimous in voting to either pass or reject a particular bill, then it is likely that it will be presented to the full legislature with that recommendation being adopted without even the necessity of a formal vote of the full legislature. If there is a split vote on a bill, then a vote will be necessary for its passage or rejection.
Read more: WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW TO PREVENT RAILS IN MAINE FROM BEING TORN UP FOR TRAILS!
Transportation Committee Hears Public Testimony on RUAC Bills to Rip Up Mountain Division & Berlin Subdivision Rails (Between Portland and Auburn)
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- Created: 20 May 2023 20 May 2023
The Thursday Transportation Committee hearing was a bit grueling. (just ask Chairman Wayne Davis and Bill Lord who were up there with me, as well as Tom Mahon and Bob Hall who attended by Zoom). First, the café was closed for rehab. Second, the hearing that was supposed to begin at 1 pm didn’t start until after 2:30 pm because the House remained in session on other matters until then. Third, there were lots and lots of witnesses attending both in person and by Zoom, meaning that we didn’t finish up until about 6 pm, and that each witness was limited to only two minutes of time to talk. Despite that, Bill, Tom and I each testified. My written testimony is attached.
Given the 2-minute time limit, I didn’t get to do anything more in my oral testimony except to emphasize that once rail is removed, it will never be put back because of the cost of doing so. I also testified that the issue is not whether we should have rail or trail but, instead, that the question is whether Maine wants to give up an irreplaceable economic and social asset (rail) for trails or, for some additional money, preserve those assets using rail with a trail.
There were so many witnesses that they blurred together for me, and it’s impossible for me to say much about what they each said. Two major matters do stick out, however;
Important Hearing This Thursday (5/18/23) at 1pm in Augusta on Ripping Up Unused Rails for Trails (Updated 5/15/2023)
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- Created: 13 May 2023 13 May 2023
This update corrects our prior notice dated 5/13/2023 in order to reflect that MDOT
does not support removal of the rail from the line between Portland and Auburn, and
that it does not support passage of the bill that would provide funding for the removal of
the Mountain Division line at this point in time.
We previously warned that the formation of Rail Use Advisory Councils (RUAC) in Maine could lead to the ripping up of State-owned rail lines, whether or not those lines have future rail potential. That danger has now become very, very real.
In spring 2022, one RUAC recommended that the rails on the Mountain Division line be removed. In December 2023, another RUAC recommended the removal of the rail on the line (formerly owned by the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad) between Portland and Auburn (also known as the “Berlin Subdivision”).
RUAC Berlin Subdivision Recommendation
RUAC Mountain Division Recommendation
The Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) approved of the recommendation to remove the rails from the Mountain Division, but rejected the recommendation for removal of rails from the Berlin Subdivision.
However, bills were submitted to the legislature this year to permit removal of rail from both lines. In both instances, the rail lines would be replaced by trails. A hearing on these bills is now scheduled to be heard in Augusta by the Transportation Committee starting at 1 pm this coming Thursday, 5/18/2023. Passage of these bills, and approval by the Governor, would then permit the removal of the rail on these lines as soon as money became available to do so.
TrainRiders Northeast absolutely opposes passage of LD 404, LD 1450 and LD 209. The removal of the rail from these lines is shortsighted and irreversible steps that would eliminate even the possibility of future rail use on these lines. In theory, the lines would be preserved for rail use at some point in the future, but, in fact, removal of the track on those lines would make their reconversion to rail economically impossible. TrainRiders position is that any trails should be constructed beside the existing rails, with appropriate separation and fencing to ensure that the trails would not impede future rail use after any necessary track upgrades.