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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 0 F O C U S L O G I S T I C S / T R A N S P O R TAT I O N that transportation infrastructure is smart for the short and long term. Not only does it employ people in the short term for that kind of stimulative effect, but it provides a foundation for long-term economic growth. We are planning on flat federal funding. MB: Which Maine DOT projects are you most excited about? BVN: We do have some big projects, like the Piscataqua River Bridge, that has been under construction for some time. When that is done, that should allow some part-time shoulder use to essentially have another lane coming into Maine at peak times. at has the opportunity to make a real difference, and make Maine a more attractive place for tourists. In terms of inter- national trade and the viability of the Twin Rivers mills up in Madawaska, we have a huge, $85 million project coming forward to replace that bridge up there. We're also doing some work on connections on [state Route] 302, and we're finally catching up on some work on [state Route] 201 — heavy freight routes that are central to forest projects and other Maine industries. We publish everything in our work plan, so people can see exactly what we're doing, and I'm always afraid that when I select two or three, that I'm leaving out the other 200 or 300, and I don't want people to feel left out. You can always go on www.mainedot.gov and look for our work plan. MB: Any hiring challenges at the Maine DOT lately? BVN: I'm probably the biggest hiring challenge there is right now, because there's essentially a freeze that's admin- istered through my level. e ones you see advertised are generally only related to health and safety, like for transporta- tion workers who operate snow plows. MB: They are essential workers? BVN: ey certainly are. With every position, to me there has to be a conver- sation about, "Is it something we could do without for the next year or two?," because we have to adjust. We have to spend as little as we can, and we will be looking at our mix of projects to find out if there are ways we can stretch the dollar even further, through alterna- tive paving treatments and things like that. e best transportation dollar is one you never spend, so we are honestly in kind of a "MacGyver" mode right now, which I don't necessarily take as a negative. If you think of that TV series, the person always finds a way to do something even though you don't have enough stuff to do that, and that's the mode we're in. We're trying to maintain the service with less money, especially in the near term. We have to absorb rev- enue cuts, and bonding is a part of the solution, but looking for more efficient ways is a part, too. MB: What's at the top of your to-do list for the rest of this year? BVN: is time of year is when we do the work to put out the work plan that you see in January. at's a lot of work because you have to try to project what your funding is going to be for the next three years, which includes a president to be named later, a new Congress to be named later and a new state Legislature. en you have to take the projects you already have in the plan, make sure that they're fully funded, and then you get to add work generally for the third year. at's what we're in the midst of right now. Obviously the Interstate is our No. 1 priority, and we make sure that it gets everything that it needs. But get down to a Priority 4 road, and we might just be putting down a thin layer of pave- ment every seven years. I also think we need to shift our investment focus a little bit to look at Main streets all over Maine. We did a little project in Hallowell that was a game-changer, reconstructing their Main Street and remedying long-standing sidewalk and crosswalks issues. It's a much more pedestrian-friendly, vibrant place. We're also reconstructing Main Street in Kingfield. MB: Do you see doing something like that in other places? BVN: at's exactly right — there are places like that all over the state. Historically, we have shied away from those kinds of projects simply because they're expensive. But given the current trend we're seeing right now of people thinking about coming to Maine and teleworking, you need quality places. And making sure that the road is safe and smooth in rural areas, that's part of quality. If we could do one or two of those a year, that would be making Maine a better place to live, work and play. MB: Would you enlist developers to help in this undertaking? BVN: We always consult with commer- cial developers, so if a private developer in an area is not interested, then you're not going to do it. We already have a small program where private businesses, the town and DOT can partner on proj- ects, but that's focused on an individual business. I'm talking about trying to take the gem of what Maine is ("You can get there from here"), make sure that stays, and that where you're getting is some- place you want to go. R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s The best transportation dollar is one you never spend, so we are honestly in kind of a 'MacGyver' mode right now, which I don't necessarily take as a negative. P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F M D O T Van Note envisions one or two Main Street revamps a year, like the recently completed project in Hallowell he calls a "game-changer." MDOT USE OF ALL FUNDS FY20-21 S O U R C E : Maine Department of Transportation 63% — Highway and bridge capital ($946M) 24% — Maintenance and operations ($363.5M) 8% — Multimodal ($121.9M) 3% — Local road assistance ($43.0M) 2% — Administration ($27.4M) $1.5 billion FY20/21 budget as passed plus $50M discretionary grants and $20M local added each year

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