Augusta ? The Hartgen Annual Highway Report, released by the Reason Foundation, has ranked Maine tops in New England and fourth overall in the United States for having the lowest administrative disbursements per mile.
Additionally, the report ranked Maine 16th in the nation in overall highway performance and cost-effectiveness in 2012. In 2011, the state was ranked 18th overall and in 2009 the ranking was 29th.
?When I took office, I tasked our Commissioners to find efficiencies and to stretch the dollar,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt and his team have worked tirelessly to improve the state?s infrastructure in the most fiscally sound way possible. These rankings show that the department is meeting our expectations for system improvement and innovative management.?
Maine?s highway system is ranked as the 33rd largest in the country, with the state?s being as big as the rest of New England?s combined. MaineDOT is responsible for 8,500 miles of state highway; 2,700 state bridges; approximately 600 miles of rail; and the Maine State Ferry Service with seven ferry boats and seven ferry terminals.
?These rankings reflect the hard work performed by everyone at MaineDOT to carry out our mission?to responsibly provide our customers the safest and most reliable transportation system possible, given available resources,? said Commissioner Bernhardt. ?I am proud of the work done here, and I?m confident that ongoing efficiencies and cost savings measures will produce continued positive results on behalf of Maine?s taxpayers.?
The Hartgen Report is based on the most recent spending and performance data submitted by state highway agencies to the federal government. The overall methodology uses seven system-performance and four financial measures to calculate an overall ranking. States with the best system performance relative to their financial resources score the best.
To view the complete Hartgen Report, visit: http://reason.org/studies/show/21st-annual-highway-report
To view the MaineDOT three-year Work Plan for projects throughout the state, visit: mainedot.gov