The Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Committee (PACTS) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Portland, Maine region. It was established to improve the coordination of transportation planning and investment decisions by state, municipal and public transportation organizations. To learn more click here.

PACTS Happenings:

PACTS High Priority Projects Forums

Governor Authorizes Funding for Bridge Improvements

Portland Peninsula Transit Study

Annual Listing of Obligated Projects
PACTS TIP for FY 2008 to FY 2011

More Forums Scheduled Regarding PACTS High Priority Projects

Three more forums have been scheduled to discuss and hear public comments on the recommendations from the PACTS High Priority Projects Committee. They are scheduled as follows:

Thursday, May 22nd, 7:00 pm at Saco City Hall

Thursday, May 29th, 7:00 pm at Yarmouth Town Hall - Community Room

Thursday, June 5th, 7:00 pm at Westbrook High School Cafeteria

Click here for the candidate list of High Priority Projects (HPP) in priority order.  Click here for a narrative of the HPP listing.  Click here for Public Comments regarding the HPP list.

Governor Authorizes Funding for Bridge Improvements

Governor Baldacci signed into law (on April 17, 2008) a bill that authorizes the issuance of $160 million in revenue bonds for the purpose of making capital improvements to bridges during the next four years.  This supplements $280 million already budgeted by MaineDOT for bridge improvements.  Click here for a list of the bridges.  Click here for a summary of the Bridge Investment Plan. 

Portland Peninsula Transit Study

On January 23rd the Portland Peninsula Transit Study Committee met for the first time at Portland City Hall.  PACTS has funded this study to provide the City with an evaluation which emphasizes public and human-powered transit as a preferred feasible alternative to single-occupancy vehicles. The study evaluation will include the potential, methods, and benefits of expanding and optimizing a transportation system for the Portland Peninsula. The Committee intends the study to result in a plan for implementation based on established local and regional transportation policies.  For more information <Click Here>.

Annual Listing of Obligated Projects

The PACTS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a listing of transportation projects over a four-year period which will be paid for at least in part with money from the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration.  To ensure that the public will have an accurate understanding of how federal funds are actually being spent on transportation projects, Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, part 450.332 requires metropolitan planning organizations to publish an annual listing of project obligations for the preceding program year.

What are "project obligations"?  In order to begin work on any phase of a transportation project, federal funds must be obligated. This means that the money is set aside for that particular piece of work, and then can be used to pay bills.

Project Listing.  The following link will take you to a list of projects in the PACTS area for which MaineDOT obligated federal funds in federal fiscal year 2007.  Click here for list of projects.

The PACTS Draft Transportation Improvement Program for FY 2008 to FY 2011

PACTS staff is working with the Maine Department of Transportation to prepare our list of federally funded highway and public transportation projects that will be considered during the next four years.  This list, called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), is a subset of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which the MaineDOT will submit to the Federal Transit and Highway Administrations in August.  The federal agencies need to approve the TIP and STIP no later than October 1st in order for all existing federally-funded projects in our region to continue in a seamless manner and for new projects to begin as early as possible.

PACTS held a public hearing on July 23rd at 5:00 p.m. at the GPCOG office at 68 Marginal Way in Portland.  The Policy Committee will endorse the PACTS TIP for FY 2008 to 2011 on August 16th.  Staff will brief the Policy Committee on the public comments received.

At this time the draft PACTS TIP is two lists:one with FTA-funded projects and the other with FHWA-funded ones.  Please click on the documents below in order to open them. 

FTA funded projects for FY 2008 TIP
FHWA funded projects for FY2008 TIP

Please contact staff at PACTS, SMRPC and GPCOG with your questions or comments on the lists of projects and on how we develop the lists, and with any other related questions or suggestions.