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An Act To Create the Fund for Municipalities To Improve Pedestrian Safety
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §75  is enacted to read:
§ 75. Fund for Municipalities To Improve Pedestrian Safety
 
1.  Establishment.     The Fund for Municipalities To Improve Pedestrian Safety, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a program account in the Highway Fund within the department. The fund must be used for pedestrian safety improvements, including, but not limited to, lights, paint, signs, speed bumps and reconstruction of intersections. The department shall administer the fund.
 
2.  Distribution and use of funds.     A municipality or a group of municipalities may apply for funding under this section. Up to 2/3 of project costs for pedestrian safety improvements as determined by the department may be financed from the fund with the remainder of the costs provided by the municipality or group of municipalities. The department shall authorize funding amounts, within available funds, based on a competitive rating system established by the department by rule.
 
3.  Rules.     The Commissioner of Transportation shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
4.  Report.     Beginning January 15, 2018 and biennially thereafter, the Commissioner of Transportation shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters on the implementation and operation of this section.
 
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Fund for Municipalities To Improve Pedestrian Safety as a program account in the Highway Fund within the Department of Transportation. The bill provides that the fund must be used for pedestrian safety improvements, such as lights, paint, signs, speed bumps and reconstruction of intersections. The bill also provides that a municipality or a group of municipalities may apply for funding from the fund. Up to 2/3 of project costs for pedestrian safety improvements may be financed from the fund with the remainder of the costs provided by the municipality or group of municipalities.