MDOT pledges year-round facility
for Airline motorists; three alternatives being explored
The specific final plan remains to be determined, but the Maine
Department of Transportation (MDOT) has committed to working with the owners of
the Airline Snack Bar on Route 9 to either (1) install a privy in the vicinity
of the diner, or (2) work with them to upgrade their system to allow for a
full-service system in the diner with an outside entrance. Negotiations
are already underway with the owners and the Commissioner hopes to be able to
announce a solution in the near future. If a final agreement can not be
reached on either of these options in a timely manner, the Commissioner has
committed to a third option: reinstalling a privy at the Mopang site.
Earlier
this year, the Raye introduced LD 561, Resolve, To
Direct the Department of Transportation to Establish a Rest Area on U.S. Route
9 Between Calais and Brewer. Raye presented his
bill to the Transportation Committee on March 20th, and Reps. Howard
McFadden (R-Dennysville), Joe Tibbetts (R-Columbia), Ben Pratt (D-Holden), and
Passamaquoddy Rep. Donald Soctomah each testified in support of the bill.
Raye, McFadden and Tibbetts later met with Cole and other MDOT
officials to seek a resolution to the issue.
Subsequent conversations between Raye and MDOT officials secured the
agreement announced today.
“I am grateful to Commissioner Cole and his staff for their
responsiveness and their willingness to work out an agreement that will provide
a facility that will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Raye. “I am also grateful to my legislative
colleagues who helped push this issue. This
is a good solution, and it will come as a relief to those who travel Route 9
between
“I am especially hopeful that the effort to secure an agreement
with the owners of the Airline Snack Bar to provide motorists with full-time
access to modern restroom facilities will bear fruit. But any of the three alternatives MDOT is
exploring will be a vast improvement over the current lack of facilities,” Raye
concluded.
Upon securing the agreement with Cole, Raye informed the
Transportation Committee that he was dropping his efforts to enact LD 561, as
the negotiations had accomplished the goal of the legislation. In lieu of his bill, Raye asked the
Transportation Committee to send a letter to Commissioner Cole indicating that it
is their understanding that the issue will be resolved in a timely manner with
one of the three alternatives outlined in Cole’s letter to Raye.
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