17-229-103 Me. Code R. § I-4
Adequate, safe and efficient transportation facilities and services are essential to the economy and well being of the State. These facilities and services should serve the diverse mobility needs of the State and should be planned and developed through effective public participation. Transportation and land use planning should be integrated with social, environmental, and economic objectives and coordinated with local, regional and statewide planning efforts to address environmental quality objectives. Planning for these facilities and services should be done to improve transportation system efficiency, improve the efficiency of vehicles and vehicle usage, and reduce waste and unnecessary energy use.
MaineDOT is the state agency charged with the overall responsibility for balanced transportation policy and planning. Implementation of MaineDOT's plans and policies is achieved through a continuing planning process which creates and maintains a long-range, multimodal statewide transportation plan, a mid-range transportation improvement plan, and associated transportation improvement program.
Under the umbrella of transportation planning several levels of effort are commonly found, namely: statewide systems planning, regional planning, corridor planning and project planning. It is important to note that each of these planning activities may involve different levels of complexity and require different levels of public involvement. The complexity of these planning activities requires integration of public input early and often from diverse sources at the regional and local levels. MaineDOT collaborates with the Regional Councils (RCs) who, as partners, play a vital role in ensuring the integration of public input and regional needs in MaineDOT's planning process. RCs are uniquely equipped to assist in soliciting coordinating and summarizing public input to MaineDOT's planning activities. The results of RC-led public involvement activities are incorporated into the Department's overall transportation plans.
The following policy objectives shall be used by MaineDOT, MPOs, RCs and municipalities in making transportation planning, capital investment and project development decisions:
MaineDOT in collaboration with the RCs will develop and implement a public participation process providing for early and effective public involvement in long and mid-range transportation planning. This process will be designed to provide MaineDOT with an improved perspective regarding statewide, regional and local needs, values and priorities.
To have a better understanding of regional needs outside the MPO areas, MaineDOT will work with RCs to solicit public input, assess regional and local needs and develop regional priorities. RCs may assist in:
In order to facilitate MaineDOT's consideration of local comprehensive or long range land use plans, municipal or multi-municipal plans should be developed in accordance with Subchapter III of this Rule.
Transportation planning within Maine's Metropolitan Planning Areas is the responsibility of each respectively designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). MPOs carry out their planning activities in cooperation with MaineDOT, and are subject to the same state and federal planning policies, processes and requirements as MaineDOT.
The transportation plans and transportation improvement programs developed by the MPOs are incorporated into MaineDOT's long-range plans and capital improvement plans. The MPOs are responsible for self-certifying to MaineDOT and FHWA that the MPO planning process conforms to both State and Federal rules for transportation planning.
When developing or updating MPO long range plans, MPOs in cooperation with MaineDOT and the Regional Councils will develop and maintain an inventory of existing and proposed transportation systems. This inventory will be comprehensive and will include such elements as system usage, system characteristics and system condition.
MPO long-range plans should also include consideration of municipal or multimunicipal land use development patterns and management efforts within the MPO planning area. MPO long-range plans may include transportation and land use planning policies that guide MPO and MaineDOT capital investment decisions and planning processes. MPOs may also include recommendations to MaineDOT and MPO area municipalities for land use and transportation goals, policies, objectives and strategies that assure the long-term benefits of the regional transportation system.
When an MPO Long-Range Plan includes recommendations for projects which add new highway capacity, the MPO long-range plan must may document existing land use conditions in the area(s) affected bythe proposed project(s) and include land use policy recommendations to municipalities to preserve any added capacity.
17-229 C.M.R. ch. 103, § I-4