[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 79 (Monday, May 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6069-S6070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 1388. A bill establish a commercial truck highway safety 
demonstration program in the State of Maine, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague, Senator 
Collins, to introduce legislation that will rectify an impediment to 
international commerce flowing through Maine, but more importantly, 
will offer a measure of protection that many of my constituents in 
Maine do not currently possess.
  As many of our colleagues know, expanding upon the current Federal 
truck weight limitation of 80,000 pounds is often looked upon as 
dangerous, flaunting the safety of drivers who may be faced with a 
truck weighing as much as 143,000 pounds, the limit on Interstates in 
Massachusetts and New York. While I certainly concur that safety of 
drivers is very important, and I have the record to prove it, I ask you 
do not overlook the safety of pedestrians as well.
  In Maine, where we currently have a limited exemption along the Maine 
Turnpike, many trucks traveling to or from the Canadian border or into 
upstate Maine are not able to travel on our Interstates as a result of 
the 80,000 pound weight limit. This forces many of them onto secondary 
roads, many of which are two-lane roads running through small towns and 
villages in Maine. Tanker trucks carrying fuel are passing elementary 
schools, libraries, and weaving through traffic to reach our Air 
National Guard station. Not only is this an inefficient method of 
bringing necessary fuel guardsmen that provide our national security, 
but imagine if you will one of those tanker trucks rupturing on Main 
Street, potentially causing serious damage to property, causing traffic 
chaos, and most importantly, killing or injuring drivers and 
pedestrians.
  This is not a far-fetched scenario. In fact, two pedestrians were 
killed in the past year in Maine as a result of overweight trucks on 
local roadways, one tragic instance occurring within sight of the 
nearby Interstate.
  What is the result of such traffic? According to study conducted by 
the Maine Department of Transportation, traffic fatalities involving 
trucks weighing 100,000 pounds are 10 times greater on secondary roads 
in Maine than on the exempted interstates. Serious injuries are seven 
times more likely. Not to mention the exorbitant cost of maintaining 
these secondary roads, forced to handle these massive trucks. These 
roads were not designed to handle this kind of traffic. Our interstates 
were, yet these trucks are consistently prevented from traveling on 
them.

[[Page S6070]]

  The argument against such trucks is that it is a ``slippery slope'' 
that if you allow one State to have such an exemption, pretty soon 
you'll have to give every State such an exemption. Well, I would like 
to remind the opponents of this amendment that we are halfway there 
already. A total of 27 States already have some type of exemption, and 
47 States allow trucks weighing over 80,000 pounds on some roads within 
their State. To offer a clear picture of this, if you are driving a 
truck weighing 100,000 pounds, you can leave Gary, IN, just outside of 
Chicago, and can operate that vehicle all the way to Portland, ME. 
There, of course, they have to unload the additional weight to continue 
on the Interstate, or travel the remainder of the way through the State 
on these local roads, endangering the populace and other drivers.
  Conversely, you can operate a truck weighing 90,000 pounds from 
Kansas City, MO, and travel to Seattle, WA. So I ask you, is this truly 
a legitimate reason for opposition while my constituents are taking 
their lives in their hands when merely crossing Main Street?
  I would especially like to thank Senator Collins for her steadfast 
effort as, side-by-side, we continue to seek a resolution to this 
issue.
  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 the portion of Interstate 95 designated as the Maine 
Turnpike, which runs from Maine's border with New Hampshire to Augusta, 
our capital city. At Augusta, the turnpike designation ends, but I-95 
proceeds another 200 miles north to Houlton. At Augusta, however, heavy 
trucks must exit the modern four-lane, limited-access highway and are 
forced onto smaller, two-lane 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 is a 
significant impediment to commerce, increases wear-and-tear on our 
secondary roads, and, most important, puts our people needlessly at 
risk.
  Senator Snowe and I have introduced this legislation several times in 
recent years. We do so this year with a renewed sense of urgency, and 
in sorrow. Just last week, Susan Abraham, a bright and talented 17-
year-old high school student from Hampden, ME, lost her life when her 
car was struck by a heavy truck on Route 9. The truck driver could not 
see Susan's small car turning onto that two-lane road as he rounded a 
corner. It was an accident but one that would have been avoided had the 
truck remained on the interstate highway. Interstate 95 runs less than 
three-quarters of a mile away, but Federal law prevented the truck from 
using that modern, divided highway, a highway that was designed to 
provide ample views of the road ahead.
  That preventable tragedy took place almost 1 year to the day after 
Lena Gray, an 80-year-old resident of Bangor, was struck and killed by 
a tractor-trailer as she was crossing a downtown street. Again, that 
accident would not have occurred had that truck been allowed to use I-
95, which runs directly through Bangor.
  The problem Maine faces due to the disparity in truck weight limits 
affects many communities, but it is clearly evident in the eastern 
Maine cites 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 
multilane, 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.
  In June 2004, Wilbur Smiths Associates, a nationally recognized 
transportation consulting firm, completed a study to examine the impact 
a Federal weight exemption on nonexempt portions of Maine's Interstate 
Highway System would have on safety, pavement, and bridges. The study 
found that extending the current truck weight exemption on the Maine 
Turnpike to all interstate highways in Maine would result in a decrease 
of 3.2 fatal crashes per year. 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 of 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.
  In addition to the safety of motorists and pedestrians, there is a 
homeland security aspect to this as well. An accident or attack 
involving a heavy truck carrying explosive fuel or a hazardous chemical 
on a congested city street would have devastating consequences. That 
risk can be alleviated substantially by allowing those trucks to stay 
on the open highway.
  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 three 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. Our efforts are 
widely supported by public officials throughout Maine, including the 
Governor, the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Secretary 
of State, and the Maine State Police. I urge my colleagues to support 
this important legislation.
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