Letter: People in Maine need cars — and choices

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 1, 2026

The transportation funding crisis facing Maine didn’t come out of nowhere. In 2011, then-Gov. LePage froze the gas tax relative to inflation, effectively draining nearly $600 million from transportation system funding that would have made Maine safer, more accessible and better connected. Since then, Maine voters have had to pass 10 highway bonds to support transportation infrastructure. Even before today’s shortfall, safer and healthier transportation options like public transportation, walking, biking, rolling and community rides — have been chronically underfunded. That’s why we’ve assembled Transportation for Maine (T4ME) with more than 20 organizations statewide calling for long-term solutions that will allow Maine to start building the connected transportation system of the future. ~ Zoe Miller, Portland