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Stacy Brenner of Scarborough represents District 30 in the Maine Senate. She is a member of the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Cars and trucks account for almost half of the annual climate pollution in Maine. Yet today, decisions about major transportation projects, especially those that expand road capacity and increase vehicle traffic, are not evaluated for how they impact our climate commitments. And, we’ve significantly underinvested in safe and community-oriented transportation options that would allow Mainers to be less dependent on cars and trucks.
That’s why I’m putting forward legislation to change that, in a thoughtful and practical way.
My bill, LD 1138, asks us to make informed, transparent choices about how we invest in transportation infrastructure, choices that recognize both today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges. Building the transportation system of the future is an exciting prospect. We can connect communities with safe and reliable options without contributing to climate change that is already impacting Maine communities.
When I served on the Maine Climate Council, I had the privilege of working closely with communities, businesses, scientists, and citizens to create the Maine Won’t Wait Climate Action Plan. One of the clear takeaways from that work is that if we are serious about reaching our climate goals, every sector of our society, including transportation, needs to be part of the solution. That means that we need to provide more clean, safe options for Mainers to get where they need to go, whether by walking, biking, rolling, or taking community and public transportation.
Our state is particularly reliant on cars and trucks, with nearly 80 percent of Maine workers getting to work every day in a single-occupancy vehicle. More Mainers than ever before are driving electric vehicles, including me, but in order to hit our climate goals, we also need to reduce vehicle traffic and invest in better options like active transportation, walkable villages and downtowns, and public transit.
Climate change is just one of many reasons to make needed transportation reform. Over 10,000 Mainers are currently unemployed due to lack of access to reliable transportation. 40,000 Maine households do not have access to a vehicle. Those who do have access to a vehicle are now spending, on average, over $1,000 per month on maintaining and operating that single vehicle.
Tragically, our transportation system is also becoming increasingly dangerous year over year, particularly for pedestrians and bicyclists. Our current system is dangerous, polluting, expensive, and inequitable, and it is past time to change that.
Responding to climate change is imperative, but it does not have to be a sacrifice. My bill seeks to achieve our climate goals by reducing vehicle traffic and investing in other modes of transportation such as public transit and safe walking and biking infrastructure that will benefit local economies, improve public health, increase community safety, and lower transportation cost burdens for Maine families.
I think Mainers understand that intentional transportation planning is key to a resilient and prosperous Maine. I believe LD 1138 legislation strikes a strong balance. It can advance our climate goals, increase access to local economies, reduce air pollution, and ensure that future generations will inherit a Maine we can be proud of. The bill came out of the Transportation Committee with a favorable recommendation, and now needs to pass the full House of Representatives and the Senate to become law.
Please join me in supporting LD 1138 by reaching out to your state legislators today.
