Below is an announcement from Maine’s Public Transit Advisory Council (PTAC) about their Biennial Report, which was released earlier this year. PTAC is a voluntary board that was established to advise the State of Maine on planning and priorities for investing in public transportation statewide. Josh Caldwell, the Natural Resource Council of Maine’s Climate & Clean Energy Policy Advocate and Outreach Manager, serves as PTAC’s Vice-Chair.
Maine is meeting just 11% of the demonstrated need for public transportation statewide even though ridership has rebounded from pandemic lows, according to a new report released by the state’s Public Transit Advisory Council (PTAC).
On Tuesday March 25 at 1:00 p.m. legislators on the Transportation Committee received a briefing on the PTAC Biennial Report, which calls for increasing state operating funding for transit systems and dedicated funding so that service expansion can be implemented.
Photo courtesy City of Bangor
The Public Transit Advisory Council is a voluntary board that was established by statute in 2015 to advise the Departments of Transportation, Labor, and Health and Human Services on public transportation policies and priorities. The Council is charged with evaluating needs, recommending levels of service, identifying funding requirements, and seeking maximum coordination of resources. Members are appointed by the Commissioner of Transportation and include representatives from the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation.
“The finalized PTAC report is the outcome of a nearly year-long collaborative engagement that involved many different stakeholders. Public transportation services are essential, and transit operators are doing the best they can to maintain and expand options,” said Chad Heid, PTAC Chair. “The report details the unmet needs of thousands of Mainers and illustrates the need for increasing investment in public transit. Without additional funding, transit operators will continue to face workforce shortages and fleet maintenance challenges.”
Currently, more than 90,000 Maine residents of driving age do not have a driver’s license, and more than 40,000 Maine households do not have access to a vehicle. The report finds significant investment is needed to improve and expand transit services to meet a greater proportion of the need in Maine.
The PTAC Biennial Report issued two priority recommendations:
- Increase state operating funding for transit operators to ensure reliable and effective service. Currently, the State of Maine covers around 2% of transit operating costs, with local and federal resources filling in the remainder.
- Establish a dedicated funding source for transit to enable local transit operators to plan for service expansion rather than making ends meet to maintain existing service.
PTAC members are charged with objectively assessing statewide transit service and evaluating transit needs for the eight transit regions in Maine. The top concern cited by transit operators is having insufficient funding to operate affordable, reliable, and effective transit services for their communities.
“We’re literally leaving thousands of Mainers on their doorstep without a way to commute to work, get to school, visit family, or run errands,” said Zoe Miller, Executive Director of the Moving Maine Network. “This report demonstrates the immediate need for increased investment in our statewide public transportation systems to better serve Maine people.”
The report’s other recommendations include increasing transparency in public transit funding distribution and decision-making; improving coordination across state agencies that provide funding for transportation; implementing a comprehensive reporting system for transit projects; supporting volunteer driver needs; increasing transit-related education and outreach; and designating funds for programs that support mobility for older adults.
Maine has systematically underinvested in public transit systems, and the Covid pandemic significantly disrupted transit service. Transit ridership numbers are rapidly rebounding from a pandemic low, but even if ridership were to increase by 5% annually, Maine would not achieve pre-pandemic transit ridership levels until 2029.
Maine’s 16 transit agencies provided 5.2 million rides in 2023, the most recent reporting year, and employ more than 1,500 people. This does not include the Maine State Ferry Service or the Amtrak Downeaster service, the latter of which achieved record ridership in 2024.
—Josh Caldwell, NRCM Climate & Clean Energy Policy Advocate and Outreach Manager
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