The cost of fuel - to our wallet and our climate - has reached a breaking point.  Between 1999 and 2008, pump prices almost quadrupled.  Yet by some measures transportation still accounts for about 2/3 of our petroleum use in the U.S.  Roughly 99.5% of our fuels are polluting, overpriced, and non-native.  It is time for bold action:  a Maine-made Marshall Plan for an independent transportation economy.

Today we must invest aggressively in updating and planning for a more efficient transportation system.  We must increase public transportation including rail, boost vehicle fuel efficiency, and research alternatives such as electric, hydrogen, and wood-biofuel engines.  Such measures will benefit our environment, our economy, and our security.

With a single gallon of diesel, a train carries one ton of freight or passengers an average of 423 miles.  This is one reason I continue to work to help bring the Downeaster to the Brunswick area by 2012, a move expected to generate millions in new revenue and help create hundreds of needed new jobs.  From Brunswick, further rail expansions are possible towards Rockland, Augusta, and Lewiston as well as points beyond.


While seeking to reduce costs, we can not neglect our roads and bridges.  Because gasoline is taxed at a fixed amount (number of pennies) per gallon, there is less money from this tax for our roads when people use less fuel.  Using less is a welcome outcome -- but it leaves our state Highway Fund in dire straits.  We must find alternate funding mechanisms, and have the political courage to vote for them.

Energy has become a critical issue in Maine politics, national politics, and in the world.  Tranportation must be part of the solution.