Access to reliable transportation is vital in connecting families to work, childcare, education, and other services they need to thrive – especially in a rural state like Maine. Yet an estimated 40,000 households across the state do not have a personal vehicle and public transit meets only 11% of the total rides needed.
These are just some of the findings of a new report released today by the John T. Gorman Foundation – Moving Toward Solutions: Addressing the Transportation Challenges of Maine Families.
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In this report, you’ll find:
- Data on the extent of Maine’s transportation access issues – including the widespread lack of personal vehicles, high costs of operating and maintaining vehicles in all 16 counties, and limited public transit systems;
- How lack of transportation impacts families, rural Mainers, young adults, and other groups; and
- Potential approaches for expanding transportation options on an individual, community, and statewide level.
In the Foundation’s two-generation partnerships to support children and their caregivers, transportation has consistently proven to be a major hurdle for Maine families. Even a small setback – a flat tire, a misaligned bus schedule, or a canceled ride – can be enough to prevent or threaten the progress of families who are living on razor-thin margins.
By distributing this report, the Foundation hopes to raise awareness on the vital role transportation plays in helping families achieve economic security and well-being – as well as highlight approaches that could help the state meet the diverse and evolving transportation needs of Maine people.
“Like housing and childcare, transportation access deserves our full attention,” said Foundation President & CEO Nicole Witherbee. “To build a stronger future for the state’s families and economy, we need a system that works better for all Mainers. Achieving this will require collaboration, innovation, and new approaches. Working together, we can get there.”
