The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT (occasionally referred to as MDOT), is the office of state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads, rail, ferries, and other public transport infrastructure in the state of Maine. An exception is the Maine Turnpike, which is maintained by the Maine Turnpike Authority. MaineDOT reports on the adequacy of roads, highways, and bridges in Maine. It also monitors environmental factors that affect the motor public such as stormwater, ice/snow buildup on roads, and crashes with moose. MaineDOT was founded in 1972 and replaced the former Maine State Highway Commission. [1]
MaineDOT owns hundreds of miles of railway track in the state, much of it acquired as the result of abandonment of rail on unprofitable lines by private carriers. The state does not itself operate a railway, instead leasing lines or engaging private contractors to operate on state-owned rails:
Maine state law requires MaineDOT to operate regular ferry routes, known as the Maine State Ferry Service, to specific island localities along Maine's Atlantic coast.[6] All ferries can carry passengers, vehicles, and freight. As of 2021[update], the service consists of six routes.[7]
The law also provides for the Maine State Ferry Service Advisory Board,[14] which is charged with advising MaineDOT on all ferry-related matters and recommending changes via an annual report, as well as naming MaineDOT's ferry vessels and terminals.[15] The board is composed of one member from each island served by the ferries and three members appointed by the Commissioner of Transportation, each with two-year terms.[16][17]
Besides MaineDOT, coastal Maine is served by a number of other private and public ferry operators. A notable example is Casco Bay Lines, a non-profit created by emergency state legislation in 1981 to maintain ferry service between Portland and islands in the neighboring Casco Bay.[18]
