|
Hancock County
Planning Commission
Sensible Transportation Policy Act
A Handbook for Local and Inter-Community Transportation Planning in Maine: Implementing Maine’s
Sensible Transportation Policy Act through
Coordinated Transportation
and Land Use Planning (Pre-publication Draft) (Warning: 8 MB PDF - not suitable for slow internet connections)
By
Evan Richert, AICP
Paul Godfrey, HNTB Corp.
Kevin Hooper, Kevin Hooper & Associates
Carol Morris, Morris Communications
It
is the policy of the State that transportation planning decisions,
capital investment decisions and project decisions must:
|
A. Minimize the harmful effects of transportation on
public health and on air and water quality, land use
and other natural resources; [RR 1991, c. 2, §88
(cor).] |
|
|
B. Require that the full range of reasonable transportation
alternatives be evaluated for all significant highway
construction or reconstruction projects and give preference
to transportation system management options, demand
management strategies, improvements to the existing
system, and other transportation modes before increasing
highway capacity through road building activities; [RR
1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).] |
|
|
C. Ensure the repair and necessary improvement of roads
and bridges throughout the State to provide a safe,
efficient and adequate transportation network; [RR
1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).] |
|
|
D. Reduce the State's reliance on foreign oil and promote
reliance on energy-efficient forms of transportation; [RR
1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).] |
|
|
E. Meet the diverse transportation needs of the people
of the State, including rural and urban populations
and the unique mobility needs of the elderly and disabled; [RR
1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).] |
|
|
F. Be consistent with the purposes, goals and policies
of the Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation
Act; and [RR 1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).] |
|
|
G. Incorporate a public participation process in which
local governmental bodies and the public have timely
notice and opportunity to identify and comment on concerns
related to transportation planning decisions, capital
investment decisions and project decisions. The department
and the Maine Turnpike Authority shall take the comments
and concerns of local citizens into account and must
be responsive to them. [RR 1991, c. 2, §88
(cor).] |
|
[RR 1991, c. 2, §88 (cor).]
Revised STPA 2007 (Full
document)
B. Policies
The following policy objectives shall be used by MaineDOT, MPOs, RCs
and municipalities in making transportation planning, capital investment
and project development decisions:
- Minimize the harmful effects of transportation on public health,
air and water quality, land use and natural resources.
- Coordinate
the efficient use of all available and potential future modes of
transportation.
- Give preference to non-highway new capacity projects
before building new highway capacity when such non-highway new capacity
projects are cost effective, feasible and meet the identified purpose
and need for the transportation investment.
- Repair, maintain and improve
Maine’s transportation system
to provide a safe, efficient, and adequate transportation network.
- Reduce
the state's reliance on foreign oil and promote reliance on energy
efficient forms of transportation.
- Meet the diverse transportation
needs of the people of the State, including rural and urban populations
and the unique mobility needs of the elderly and disabled.
- Be consistent
with the purposes, goals and policies of the Comprehensive Planning
and Land Use Regulation Act.
- Incorporate a public participation process
in which state, regional and local governmental bodies and the public
have timely notice and opportunity to identify and comment on concerns
related to transportation planning decisions, capital investment
decisions and project decisions.
- Promote investment incentives for
communities that adopt and implement land use plans that minimize
over-reliance on the state highway network.
- Be cost effective and
operate within fiscal constraints.
|