MANCHESTER, NH - Today, U.S. Representative
Mike Michaud and State Representative John Piotti of Unity, Maine
participated in a regional transportation summit sponsored by the New
England Council. Piotti, a panelist at the summit, addressed regional
transportation issues and stressed the importance of changing the
current Interstate truck weight limits in Maine during a panel
discussion moderated by Michaud. Each of New England's state
transportation commissioners were there as well as transportation
experts from around New England, industry representatives, and various
members of New England's congressional delegation.
"I
have been working on the truck weight issue for years now and I am
pleased that transportation leaders from around New England got the
chance to hear more about the importance of this change and what it
would mean for road safety and Maine's economy," said Michaud.
"Changing federal truck weight limits on Maine's Interstate would also
directly help our forest products industry survive, especially at a
time when they are facing record high diesel prices."
Currently,
most of Maine's Interstate highways are subject to the federally
mandated truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds. However, Maine's state
limit is 100,000 pounds - and it would be difficult to lower it due to
the demands of Maine's major industries, especially forest products,
and the through traffic from the surrounding states and Canadian
provinces which all have 100,000 pound limits on all of their roads.
"Unfortunately,
as a result of the mismatch between these two sets of regulations,
heavier trucks must divert off the Interstate highways in Maine onto
state roads that pass through a number of our communities, including
ones I represent," said Piotti. "This has negative impacts on safety,
the economy, and the cost to the system."
"An exemption from
the federal weight regulation for the remainder of Maine's Interstate
would be tremendously beneficial," said Michaud. "This change is
supported by every municipality in Maine, chambers of commerce, and the
entire Maine congressional delegation."
An in-depth study
completed by the State of Maine demonstrated that not only would such
an exemption decrease crashes and save lives, but it would also save
money and improve road conditions.
"If we want to improve
safety, decrease travel time, speed commerce, increase trade among our
states, and make our system more efficient, we must consider this issue
as part of any discussion of the future of our highway system, and
meeting the coming capacity crunch," Piotti added.
Michaud, a
member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is
working in Congress with the Maine congressional delegation to pass a
provision that would exempt all portions of the Interstate Highway
System in Maine from federal weight limits.
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