[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 21 (Tuesday, March 1, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1876-S1877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 488. A bill to establish a commercial truck highway safety 
demonstration program in the State of Maine, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague 
Senator Collins, to introduce legislation, the Commercial Truck Highway 
Safety Demonstration Program Act, to create a safety pilot program for 
commercial trucks.
  This bill would authorize a safety demonstration program in my home 
State of Maine that could be a model for other States. I have been 
working closely with the Maine Department of Transportation, 
communities in my State, and others to address statewide concerns about 
the existing Federal interstate truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds.
  I believe that safety must be the No. 1 priority on our roads and 
highways, and I am very concerned that the existing interstate weight 
limit has the unintended impact of forcing commercial trucks onto State 
and local secondary roads that were never designed to safely handle 
such heavy commercial trucks. We are talking about narrow roads, lanes, 
and rotaries, with frequent pedestrian crossings and school zones.
  I have been working to address this concern for many years. During 
the 105th Congress, for example, I authored a provision providing a 
waiver from Federal weight limits on the Maine Turnpike, the 100-mile 
section of Maine's interstate in the southern portion of the State, and 
it was signed into law as part of TEA-21. I have also shared my 
concerns with the Department of Transportation and the Senate 
Environment and Public Works Committee to urge them to work with me in 
an effort to address my concern with the safety of my constituents.
  In addition, the Maine Department of Transportation has nearly 
concluded a study of the truck weight limit waiver on the Maine 
Turnpike, and I have been working closely with the State in the hopes 
of expanding this study, in order to secure the data necessary to 
ensure that commercial trucks operate in the safest possible manner.
  Federal law attempts to provide uniform truck weight limits, 80,000 
pounds, on the Interstate System, but the fact is there are a myriad of 
exemptions and grandfathering provisions. Furthermore, interstate 
highways have safety features specifically designed for heavy truck 
traffic, whereas the narrow, winding State and local roads don't. In 
fact, lower weight limits only encourage more trucks to operate on 
these very roads, only heightening the wear and tear as well as 
increasing the potential danger to both drivers and pedestrians.
  The legislation I am submitting today would simply direct the 
Secretary of Transportation to establish a 3-year pilot program to 
improve commercial motor vehicle safety in the State of Maine. 
Specifically, the measure would direct the Secretary, during this 
period, to waive Federal vehicle weight limitations on certain 
commercial vehicles weighing over 80,000 pounds using the Interstate 
System within Maine, permitting the State to set the weight limit. In 
addition, it would provide for the waiver to become permanent unless 
the Secretary determines it has resulted in an adverse impact on 
highway safety.
  I believe this is a measured, responsible approach to a very serious 
public safety issue. I hope to work with all of those with a stake in 
this issue, safety advocates, truckers, States, and communities, to 
address this matter in the most effective possible way, and I hope that 
my colleagues will join me in this effort.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to join with my senior colleague 
from Maine in sponsoring the Commercial Truck Highway Safety 
Demonstration Program Act, an important bill that addresses a 
significant safety problem in our State.
  Under current law, trucks weighing 100,000 pounds are allowed to 
travel on Interstate 95 from Maine's border with New Hampshire to 
Augusta, our capital city. At Augusta, trucks are forced off Interstate 
95, which proceeds north to Houlton. Heavy trucks are forced onto 
smaller, secondary roads that pass through cities, towns and villages.
  Trucks weighing up to 100,000 pounds are permitted on interstate 
highways in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York as well as the 
Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. The weight limit 
disparity on various segments of Maine's interstate highway system 
forces trucks traveling to and from destinations in these States and 
provinces to use Maine's State and local roads, nearly all of which 
have two lanes, rather than four. Consequently, many Maine communities 
along the interstate see substantially more truck traffic than would

[[Page S1877]]

otherwise be the case if the weight limit were 100,000 pounds for all 
of Maine's interstate highways.
  The problem Maine faces due to the disparity in truck weight limits 
affects many communities and is clearly evident in the eastern Maine 
cities of Bangor and Brewer. In this region, a 2-mile stretch of 
Interstate 395 connects two major State highways that carry significant 
truck traffic across Maine. I-395 affords direct and safe access 
between these major corridors, but because of the existing Federal 
truck weight limit, many heavy trucks are prohibited from using this 
multi-lane, limited access highway.
  Instead, these trucks, which sometimes carry hazardous materials, are 
required to maneuver through the downtown portions of Bangor and Brewer 
on two-lane roadways. Truckers are faced with two options; the first is 
a 3.5-mile diversion through downtown Bangor that requires several very 
difficult and dangerous turns. The second route is a 7.5-mile diversion 
that includes 20 traffic lights and requires travel through portions of 
downtown Bangor, as well. Congestion is a significant issue and safety 
is seriously compromised as a result of these required diversions.
  A recent study, conducted by the Maine Department of Transportation, 
found that the accident rate between 2000 and 2003--per 100 million 
vehicle miles traveled--was more than four times higher on two-lane 
roads than on the Maine Turnpike, which had four lanes at the time of 
the study. A uniform truck weight limit of 100,000 pounds on Maine's 
interstate highways would reduce highway miles, as well as the travel 
times necessary to transport freight through Maine, resulting in 
safety, economic, and environmental benefits.
  Moreover, Maine's extensive network and local roads would be better 
preserved without the wear and tear of heavy truck traffic. Most 
important, however, a uniform truck weight limit will keep trucks on 
the interstate where they belong, rather than on roads and highways 
that pass through Maine's cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
  The legislation that Senator Snowe and I are introducing addresses 
the safety issues we face in Maine because of the disparities in truck 
weight limits. The legislation directs the Secretary of Transportation 
to establish a commercial truck safety pilot program in Maine. Under 
the pilot program, the truck weight limit on all Maine highways that 
are part of the Interstate Highway System would be set at 100,000 
pounds for 3 years. During the waiver period, the Secretary would study 
the impact of the pilot program on safety and would receive the input 
of a panel on which State officials, and representatives from safety 
organizations, municipalities, and the commercial trucking industry 
would serve. The waiver would become permanent if the panel determined 
that motorists were safer as a result of a uniform truck weight limit 
on Maine's interstate highway system.
  Maine's citizens and motorists are needlessly at risk because too 
many heavy trucks are forced off the interstate and onto local roads. 
The legislation Senator Snowe and I are introducing is a commonsense 
approach to a significant safety problem in my State. I hope my 
colleagues will support passage of this important legislation.
                                 ______