1 RAIN RH ) E R 9 CHANGING THE WAY THE NORTHEAST TRAVELS Box 4869 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 (207) 879-7245 (TRY-RAIL) TESTIMONY OF WAYNE E. DAVIS, CHAIRMAN, TRAINRIDERS NORTHEAST BEFORE THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS IN SUPPORT OF L.D. 1415 “An Act To Authorize Two General Fund Bond Issues To Improve Highways, Bridges and Multimodal Facilities” June 3, 2015 Senator Hamper, Representative Rotundo, and Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Wayne Davis, and l am the Chairman of TrainRiders/Northeast. As some of you may know, TrainRiders is a grass roots citizens’ organization with hundreds of members from Maine, New England and elsewhere. Since 1989, TrainRiders has been educating public officials and the public at large about the benefits of passenger rail service in Maine and throughout the Northeast. TrainRiders has worked, and continues to work, closely with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, Amtrak, MDOT and others to ensure that these benefits are communicated to all. TrainRiders also operates a volunteer host program both on board the Downeaster trains between Brunswick and Boston, as well as at several of the station stops along the way. Without the efforts of TrainRiders, we would not be standing here today talking about passenger rail service in Maine. L.D. 1415 proposes to put the issuance of $85 million in bonds before the voters in 2015 and another $90 million in bonds before the voters in 2016. The first set of those bonds would include $17 million for facilities and equipment for non-highway transportation projects, including those related to freight and passenger rail. The second set includes $18 million for those purposes. Passenger rail continues to need investment in capital projects in order to maintain and improve sen/ice in Maine. Included in those projects is the building of a track known as a “wye” which would eliminate the need for the Downeaster to back out from the Portland Transportation Terminal on its way to and from Freeport and is Brunswick. ln 2014, it was estimated that this project would cost $10 million. A second project the construction of a siding in Yarmouth which would allow trains to pass one another. Both of these projects are needed to support Downeaster sen/ice north of Portland, and would also benefit possible future service to Lewiston-Auburn. While a portion of the funding for these projects may come from other sources as well, the bond money proposed in this bill would, if used for those projects, go a long way to funding their completion. TrainRiders would, of course, like to see a bill introduced by the administration which explicitly designates bond money for these and other passenger rail projects. We understand, however, that the lack of such a designation gives MDOT the flexibility to direct this money where it is most needed. Accordingly, TrainRiders supports passage of L.D. 1415. We appreciate this opportunity to express our views, and, as always, we are available to assist the Committee with passenger rail issues. The Web at wwW.TrainridcrsNE.org email @[email protected].