Testimony of Nancy Smith, Executive Director of GrowSmart Maine
in support of LD 706
“Resolve, To Establish a Commission To Study Transportation
Funding Reform”
April 14, 2015
Senator Collins, Representative McLean and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, my name is Nancy Smith and I am the Executive Director of GrowSmart Maine.
I regret that I cannot attend this hearing today and thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in support of this bill.
We are a statewide non-partisan, non-profit, membership-based organization working to improve Maine's economy, protect its distinctive character and communities, and enhance our state's quality places. We believe this bill makes headway in achieving these objectives.
The condition of Maine’s transportation system is a critical issue across the state. Though this is a concept bill, we support the intention of bringing together knowledgeable leaders from different sectors to evaluate potential funding mechanisms to address this issue and to bring those recommendations back to this committee. As noted in the bill, beyond the obvious safety considerations, Maine’s transportation infrastructure is a critical economic driver for the state. This simply increases the urgency for the need to establish a sufficient and consistent funding stream to maintain existing assets. As the proposal takes shape, GrowSmart Maine would be willing to serve on the commission to offer our perspective on the issue.