FirmoGraphs keeps its clients up to date on Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs) of interest for long-term business development. We help our customers use this information to gain a competitive advantage and improve proactive conversations with their clients. We recently processed the latest transportation improvement program from Maine. Here are the insights we observed.
In the STIP covering the 2022-2025 fiscal years, the State of Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) detailed plans to spend nearly $2 billion on transportation projects, increasing 2.2% from $1.9 billion in the 2021-2024 STIP. The current STIP has 1,525 discrete projects, compared to 1,868 projects in the prior STIP. The table below breaks down the State of Maine DOT's planned capital spending by business area categorized by FirmoGraphs for its last two STIPs. The original STIP has 35 categories, but for better understanding and easier navigation, we have categorized them by our business areas. For more detailed information, schedule a meeting with us.
*Numbers are Rounded
Significant Spending Increase in Vehicles and Rail, Bus and Transit Systems
The Vehicles business area increased by 744.16%, to $22.9 million. The increase goes to new projects added, including capital funding for the hybrid propulsion system of the Maine State Ferry Service, worth $14 million. Planned spending in the Rail, Bus, and Transit Systems business area increased by 16.9% due to urban and rural transit capital, operations, and planning projects. In addition, the construction of the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton, which will serve as an intermodal facility and welcome center, increased by $7 million from the previous period. The General Technology category notes the largest percentage increase, growing to nearly $18 million, or over 2150%. The increase goes to new Highways Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects to improve traffic mobility and reduce congestion. Bridges and Tunnels and Other-Services categories cut their spending by $39 million and $24 million due to completed and near completion projects.
The Bridges and Tunnels Category to Receive Substantial Investments
Maine’s recent STIP has one project valued at more than $50 million and three projects valued at more than $25 million. The Bridge and Tunnels business area gets three notable projects despite the decrease in spending. The Bridge Deck Replacements-Statewide is the most significant single project, worth $53.6 million, funded by the Federal Highway Administration. This project is a replacement of 15 rural bridge decks in the Towns of Benedicta, Medway, Howland, Bangor, Hampden, and Pittsfield. Another notable project is replacing the Ticonic Bridge (#2854) over the Kennebec River between Waterville and Winslow, partially funded in federal grant money, worth $46.2 million. There is also a replacement of the Frank J. Wood Bridge (#2016) over the Androscoggin River between Brunswick and Topsham, amounting to $60.2 million in total, funded equally by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Maine DOT.
How FirmoGraphs Can Help
FirmoGraphs curates data about U.S. public sector markets, including transportation improvement programs, regulatory developments, and other critical information. We help our customers use this information to gain a competitive advantage and improve proactive conversations with their clients. We’d be glad to meet with you and help your company sort through the wealth of information in improvement programs and other publicly available documents. Feel free to request a meeting and review the data live in our Business Intelligence platform.