8/4/2019 Support Letter Maine Assoc of Police

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MAINE ASSOCIATION OF POLICE

President:Steven WebsterVice Presidents:James FaheyRobert MorinKevin Riordan

Todd CoonsSecretary/Treasurer:Donald BlatchfordExecutive Director:Paul Gaspar

Post Office Box 2263South Portland, ME 04106

Legal Counsel:Troubh, Heisler, P.A.William B. TroubhWilliam K. McKinleyDaniel R. FelkelKelly & ChapmanJohn W. ChapmanMichael L. Rair, Esq.Michael L. Rair

(207) 767-25581-866-438-6271

In Valor There Is Hope

Senator Susan Collins August 17th, 2011413 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Senator Collins,

The Maine Association of Police offers and urges support of your efforts to allow trucks weighingup to one hundred thousand pounds to utilize the full length of Maines interstate highway

system.

Currently, federal law prohibits trucks weighing more than eighty thousand pounds fromtraveling the I-95 corridor from the city of Augusta north. Because the Maine Turnpike, alsodesignated as I-95, is a private toll road, this prohibition does not exist from the NewHampshire border to Augusta.

This inconsistency creates a situation in which commercial vehicles not conforming to thefederal weight restriction are forced to leave the interstate system and travel state secondaryroads. As first responders, this forced departure from the interstate system is of great concern.

Given the nature and daily use of secondary roads vital to Maine citizens, this restriction creates

an unnecessary risk by forcing these commercial vehicles off of a road system that is specificallydesigned and engineered for this type of commercial traffic.

By forcing large trucks onto secondary roads intermingled with normal vehicle traffic, andconsidering the significant contributors to large truck/vehicle accidents such as weather, driverfatigue and inattention, cell phone use, etc., you exponentially increase the likelihood of crashes,injuries and fatalities.

Website: www.maineassociationofpolice.com

8/4/2019 Support Letter Maine Assoc of Police

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By allowing currently restricted commercial vehicle traffic to remain on the I-95 corridor, anopportunity is created for Maine Law Enforcement to operate in a narrow and directed venue tomonitor commercial vehicle traffic. By keeping this traffic on one identifiable corridor, vigilance

is increased as well as opportunities for education and enforcement related to state law andfederal motor carrier regulations. In these trying budgetary times, this common sense solutionnot only relieves the tremendous burden on already taxed law enforcement agencies, butprovides for a safer and more efficient experience for all users of Maines highway and roadsystems.

Making the I-95 allowance permanent provides opportunities to continually asses the balancebetween transportation systems, fuel efficiency, environmental impacts and accuracy in thecompilation of statistical safety information related to commercial vehicle operation. With betterunderstanding of motor carrier interplay on major corridors, increased enforcement andeducation of users, the safety of Maine citizens and those who visit our great state is ensured.

We look forward to the continued support of your efforts in making this opportunity a reality.

Sincerely,

Paul D. GasparExecutive DirectorMaine Association of Police