Resolve, Directing the Department of Transportation to Establish the Maine Coordinating Working Group on Access and Mobility
LD 1451 is a resolve directing the Department of Transportation to create the Maine Coordinating Working Group on Access and Mobility. The working group would bring together state agency leaders and representatives of older adults, people with disabilities, low-income residents, transit providers, people with lived experience in nonemergency transportation, a transportation-access coalition, and a youth-led organization. Its purpose is to develop an implementation plan for a statewide mobility management approach that coordinates transportation services and funding across agencies and improves access for people who face transportation barriers.
The resolve defines mobility management as a collaborative system for coordinating transportation services for nondrivers and other populations with limited access, and it introduces the concept of mobility management hubs as local coordination points for transportation supports. The working group must produce a detailed plan with a timeline, budget, staffing plan, and work plan, and it must examine interagency coordination, regional service structure, sustainable funding, and use of federal guidance and grant programs. The Department of Transportation may organize subgroups and hire consultants to help develop the plan, and it must submit a report, including any needed legislation and estimated appropriations, to the Transportation Committee by February 1, 2026.
This resolve does not itself change existing transportation statutes or create a permanent program, but it sets in motion a state planning process that could lead to future legislation and appropriations. It directs the Department of Transportation to coordinate with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor, and to consider federal funding sources such as FTA formula grants under 49 U.S.C. sections 5310 and 5311. The practical effect is to formalize a statewide review of transportation access, mobility management, and cross-agency funding coordination for older adults, people with disabilities, low-income residents, and others facing transportation insecurity.
The available record suggests the bill was treated as a planning and coordination measure rather than a controversial policy overhaul. Its structure, which emphasizes stakeholder participation, interagency collaboration, and use of existing federal models, indicates broad support for improving transportation access and efficiency. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented opposition or recorded division in the materials supplied.
The main policy questions embedded in the resolve concern how a mobility management system should be structured, what regional model should be used, how much it would cost, and how it should be funded sustainably. Potential points of debate include the role of the Department of Transportation versus other agencies, whether new coordination hubs should be created, and how to share costs between state and federal programs. The bill also implicitly raises questions about prioritizing service for populations with transportation insecurity, including older adults, people with disabilities, low-income residents, and youth, but no specific opposition is documented in the provided materials.