Maine is at an economic and environmental crossroads. One path leads to stagnation and sprawl, as the state struggles in isolation, without direction, to find its niche in a rapidly changing global economy. Along the other path, we can see vitality and growth, with responsible, controlled development, with Maine as a gateway to global markets along an East-West Highway connecting Atlantic ports in Maine and Canada with their industrial heartlands.
For the Legislature and the people of this state, it is a time to choose.
As members of regional organizations that have made economic-development and quality-of-life issues our priority, the choice and the path for the future are clear. The proposal for a privately financed east-west highway will make Maine an active player in the global economy, controlling its own destiny, moving forward with a project that is realistic and finally, within our grasp.
To open the state to an infusion of significant private funds to build this highway, the Legislature has been asked to approve an appropriation for an investment-grade feasibility study. This approach is consistent with Maine’s history of successful public-private cooperation to create jobs and economic opportunity.
In the 1980s, the state made a novel choice to use public funds to build a dry dock in Portland.
The goal was to insure that Bath Iron Works would remain a vital employer and manufacturer of Maine-built ships. Maine had always been a leader in boatbuilding and BIW was at the pinnacle in the industry.
Like today, the global marketplace was changing. Maine had the choice of watching a mature industry languish, or of stepping up with essential public-private cooperation and investment. It chose to act, and the leadership and courage the state displayed a quarter century ago ensured that BIW would retain a premiere position in its industry, exporting Maine-built ships into a new millennium and providing jobs as Maine’s single largest private sector employer.
Today, Maine is asking for similar leadership from its lawmakers. Investors need to know if an east-west highway is financially feasible. That question must be answered by an independent investment-grade study. This effort, like the public investment made so many years ago in Portland, is in the interest of the people of Maine and should be funded.
For a public investment of approximately $350,000, the state has the potential to leverage more than $2 billion in private investment that will put hundreds of Maine workers on the payroll of a major construction project.
If the dry-dock approach in the 1980s was novel, the east-west highway concept is indeed unique and visionary. Private investors, not Maine taxpayers, will build and maintain the highway with revenue generated by the users of the road. The highway is designed to be environmentally sound, using existing rights-of-way to construct a controlled-access roadway that will stimulate disciplined, focused investment in new businesses connected to the transportation and energy components of the corridor.
Connecting central and northern Maine to the world around us has long been in our best interests. Now, we have been presented with the extraordinary opportunity to have a state-of-the-art road system in our region built at private expense. It is an opportunity we must not miss.
Meanwhile, existing Maine industry in manufacturing, forestry, marine and agricultural products will be given access to major markets in the Midwest and the heartland of the United States and Canada. From the north and the south, Maine businesses will have a vibrant new crossroads for export of their products to the east and west.
The economic irony today is that while Maine is positioned beautifully as an active participant in the global network of trade and logistics — we sit right along the direct path for commerce between Atlantic U.S. and Canadian ports, and the heartlands of the world’s two great trading partners — that commerce goes around us, isolating the state from global economic energy and our potential to capitalize on its geographic advantages.
Like the highway that offers this state so much promise and hope, Maine is at a crossroads.
It must decide whether to move in the direction of economic progress and engagement in the global economy, or be content with stagnation and sprawl. Taking a new direction, and committing to a public-private partnership require courage and vision. We believe Maine people and their lawmakers still have both.
It is time to connect Maine to the world, and give it control over its own destiny. We have a choice of paths, and East-West Highway is the best road to travel. It leads to the future.
Andy Hamilton and Elizabeth Sutherland are co-chairs of Mobilize Eastern Maine. Michael Aube of Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Mike McInnis of the Action Committee of 50 and Miles Theeman of Access Atlantica also are signatories on this Op-Ed.
If it is such a “great” deal, why couldn’t the private investors who will reportably be paying the billions for the road come up with this pittance?
Something doesn’t smell right except that Cianbro’s profit will go up.
Liberals would be the first to label a private study as biased.
That’s why.
I’m guessing from your pseudonym that you were also against the gift to the people that was proposed by Ms. Quimby. I’m also guessing that you were against the private study that was being proposed associated with this proposal. My question is, what are you going to benefit from a highway cutting through the middle of the state of Maine, disrupting the “traditional” lives of Mainers? My “gut” feeling is that people like you are simply shills for “business”, no matter what.
“Gift”…. did you say “Gift” The destruction of a way of life is a “Gift”?
A gift in the same way that the destruction of many cultures was a “Gift” to them?
Huh?
You have to be a liberal “I know whats best for you” kind of person.
He/she/it doesn’t HAVE to be a liberal, but it sure helps to get along down in Mass.
FEEEELINGS……..NOTHING MORE THAN FEEEELINGS…………
Well said on so many levels, but, alas, the enviro industry will unite against this commonsense proposal because it undermines their ultimate agenda which is economic jihad against rural Maine for the purpose of wilderness restoration.
Absolute nonsense!!! Canada has always had and will always have a negative trade balance with Maine..we will buy more of their goods than they buy of ours..they have the same natural resource profile we do. In fact that is what DOT’s highly paid consultant conlcuded the last time DOT was ordered by statute to study the feasibility of the East West Highway. It said in fact that a four lane highway would have severe route 1 impacts as it would divert 100% of route 1 traffic. You are just regurgitating the absoulte rubbish in Peter Vigue’s Power Point Prsentation as testimony on LD1671. But it is not accurate and the State’s own consultants made that clear long ago. Nothing has changed.
It will though help Canada enormously moving their own nations goods and services more efficiently and according to many DOT and Umaine and all other studies 100% of truck taffic going up around Maine now would be diverted to the toll road and $100 to $200 each way is worth it in time and cost.
What about the 8,000 localMaine users of route 9 and route 2..what are they to use when this four lane two exit toll way takes over their local roads?
Oh..and what about the fact that there is no statutory authority for Maine to privatize its highway infrastructure and very few states would be as close in bed with a potential bidder as the state is with Peter Vigue on this .
What its about time for is a little truth, a little clarity,a little trannsparency and some respect for Mainers.
This isn’t about Canada trade, it’s about Maine economics. An E/W highway places Maine in the middle of a major trade route between the American heartland and the rest of the world. History has made it abundantly clear that economic activities follow and cluster around active trade routes. It is high time that central and northern Maine take control of their own economic destiny. Having Montreal as an alternative to Portland and Boston, our traditional gateways, would not hurt either.
It’s not good economics for the majority of Maine people, just for the private corporation that owns and operates the road. They are the only ones who will benefit. The people of Maine will benefit much more in investment in public transportation, road and railroad upgrades. A privately owned road just not right anywhere, as this type of infrastructure should be part of the common ownership, like state parks, national parks, libraries, current road systems, and etc. are today.
You mean the state parks, national parks, libraries, current road systems, and other infrastructure that is crumbling to dust before our very eyes?
Private investment will make sure that this highway, at least, will be kept up without the repair money being squandered on highly paid politicians, unions, consultants, etc.
These commons should not be privitized but made whole for the people’s use, and to support the society. Not privitized so only a few benefit as they would be in a fascist regime.
Harvey,
The issue of highway privatization should be separately decided by referendum by all the people in Maine. Everyone should understand how it works and what it means. It’s not a familar concept here in Maine and it does have very very sigificant implications as you point to in your comment. It should be considered apart from the discussion of the East West Highway as an issue all by itself to insure it is fully understood and if adopted everybody fully understads how it works and want that for Maine.
I cetrainly think the Maine people who live along the prosed route have a right to an open public forum on what this exactly means for them and some guanatees on what will be taken of theirs to make Peter Vigue’s dream come true. I would like to persnally go to every single public hearing to stand with the people of each little community on this route as they ask their questions and make their demands.
Harvey,
I agree completely.
We the people should have all the details of this privatization of public highways out on the table for discussion..we should have clear and honest answers to all our questions..we should have certianty not just empty promises backed by nothing that this will benefit Maine and Mainers.
If Maine is going to be used like this as a Canadian thruway for their economic convenience and to line the pockets of a private vendor, I think “we the people” should dictate the terms of that. I am not opposed to a privatization of our infrasturcture but we the people should dictate the ters of that. It shouldn’t be done behind close doors where Peter Vigue and Canadian Oil interests have more access than we do.
16 States now have Highway privatization laws and in Virginia two toll ways have been built and operated from scrtach under privatization. Some even allow sole source awards but usually there is a public auction and competitive RFP’s are sought before it is awarded to the sole source bidder.
The only people who end up un happy with privatization are the highway users..the private vendor can set tolls at whatever they need to meet operating costs and mainatin their stated profit level. A big issue too has been one far pricing so local users are totally squeezed out. That is clearly the plan here.
Yeah. There are many towns in upstate New York with I-87 exits which are as economically disadvantaged as Eastern Maine. (I-87 has been around since the early 1960’s. It is the direct route from Montreal to New York City. Worcester Massachusetts is at the junction of I-90, I-290, I-190 and only a half hour out of Boston on State Route 9. There is nothing economically advantageous about Worcester once the second most populous city in New England, now third behind Providence RI and Springfield MA. Interstate highways EVEN those with ritzy destinations do not necessarily improve the places they pass through. In some cases, one can prove the opposite result.
Harry..you are a wise and astute man..thats it exactly for the East West Toll Rd.
Since the apparent route of the E-W highway would run from Calais to Coburn Gore, I don’t see how it will help to connect Maine to “the American heartland”.
I definitely agree that it’s time for some truth, clarity and transparency about this proposed highway. It would also be nice to have some accurate information about what’s actually being proposed. With that in mind, does anyone have any links to previous studies, such as the prior DOT study, U. of M. studies, etc.? Unless and until we get an accurate description of what’s actually being proposed, we’re just debating over assumptions. If Mr. Vigue and Cianbro want support for their project, they should tell us exactly what’s being proposed. Unless they assume we’ll oppose it if we know what it’s all about.
BLYVL.. I am heartened by your wanting some acts and transparnecy too!!
The DOT website is fantastic and was quite easily able to ind and read the entire round of stautorily mandated easibiiity studies and DOT’s well written exceutive summary from the last time a statutorily manadated state funded feasibility study was ordered (1999???)
As you will see that round considered 4 or 5 different routes and configurations and only one was marginally feasible , the currently proposed route, utilizing route 2 and 9 as the base. It was proosed as a two lane toll highway ( 4 lane wasn’t feasible) and the consultant noted that a two lane toll highway is infesible in concept. The Economiv impact consuktantant did not see any benefit for Maine.
The excat route for this 4 lane version has not been publicly disclosed. I think we cann demand to know the assumptions on which the feasibility will be based ( # of lanes, # of exits etc.; % actually on the existing right of way of 2 and 9).
Sound practice is to laways leave an intact local route and cerainly for a highway like this with no exits but 2 it seems you woul dhave to eave 2 and 9 alone and I don’t see, as aplanner, where it is possible to get 4 lanes through all that wetland and water and lakes both side all the way. Aso I don’t see how its is possible to to utlize 2 an9 as proposed for a limited access toll way with no exists and not leave existing busninesses settlements isloated..I don’t see how they would get to Bangor/Ellsworth or to Calais.
I think Peter Vigue has no buisness expecting $300,000in state funding for yet another study if he is not iwlling to make the details of the prosed route and exists known to the public. Notging that is paid for with public $ should be secret from the public.
Taxpayers have purchased two studies (so far) of an East West Corridor. both these studies were of essentially the same route being discussed now. That route is from Calais to Coburn Gore. Both of the previous studies showed conclusively that the “East west highway would be a net loser for Maine.” Now comes Peter the Great who says he can build a profitable road privately. I say great, go for it. Let him buy the land, pay for the studies, build the road (not using any of Maine’s public infrastructure (for which taxpayers have already paid) and then he can sink or swim with this project just like any normal unconnected business.
Maine citizens should remember three things about this private way;
The proposal has taxpayers supporting the “policing.”
The tolls might be as high as $100 per trip. (that pretty much leaves me and my friends using public roads)
The taxpayer gets NOTHING for the money spent on this highway. No stock, no interest, and no user rights.
This sounds like another 1% grab to me…… I’m opposed to the current theft.
18 wheeler rate rate = $100.00 That does not mean it would be the same for your Chevy Volt.
Much of the land would be private… and already has a road in place through part of it. (stud mill road)
Tax revenue and a portion of the tolls would probably be part of any deal. Thats the way these things usually work. Ask Hollywood Casino.
The East West Highway supporters include a lot of local Democrats.
Kind of a lot dumb nonsense mixed into this cliche riddled piece, such as “time to connect Maine to the world…..” supporting a road to no where. Perhaps it would make sense for the Canadians to chip into this effort as they will be the big gainers with the connector. Why should we tax payers be happy paying for the study?
If an east-west highway is built it should be done by the Federal government. It would be a windfall for those areas of Maine that seem to be cut off from a decent highway infrastructure.
An East/West transportation network from Maine to Canada and
the northern US should be built but it should be made of steel, not asphalt. Maine
needs a transportation system for the future and an automobile highway, it is the dying past
There are so MANY issues with this boondoggle. Starting with it is a Canadian through way that brings limited benefit to Maine. It’s a shortcut ACROSS Maine. If this is a “private” road, why are we paying for the study? Also – why should they be allowed to force people through eminent domain to give up the path that the private corporation wants to use? Let’s start mapping the route by going through the property of the five people pushing this in this editorial. Then take it right through Peter Vigue’s home and the Cianbro HQ.