Winter will be with us soon, which for me means driving back and forth to Augusta. There is something, however, very different about my commute since the legislative session began in January of 2007, which is that the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) finally repaved Rt. 32.
As many of you know, Rt. 32 was in deplorable condition. It was common to follow flashing brake lights as motorists tried to avoid two-foot potholes. And worse, local businesses suffered as individuals sought alternate routes to avoid traveling on Rt. 32.
Both the safety issues and economic impact inspired me to make several phone calls to DOT. Staff at the DOT told me, “Everyone has some bad roads in their district.”
At that point, I realized this was going to require more than a few letters or phone calls to the department.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I drove up and down Rt. 32 and took photographs of the potholes, cracks and caverns in the road.
I printed out 12 photographs and created a calendar with a full-page photograph of the appalling road conditions for each month.
When I finally had the chance to meet with Department of Transportation Commissioner David Cole, I came prepared.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s office provided accident reports from Rt. 32. The town selectmen in numerous towns along Rt. 32 and the Lincoln County Commissioners wrote letters addressing safety and business issues. And of course, I brought calendars to share.
The most important part of the meetings with Commissioner Cole was getting to the hazards and economic impact of large holes in a major road. As a bonus, the commissioner hung my calendar on his office door. Since then, he has had numerous people, including federal officials, comment about the photos.
I was delighted as the responses to my perseverance went from “no,” to “probably not,” to “maybe,” to “yes.”
After nine months of phone calls, meetings, and possible near-death experiences while taking photos, the road was repaved with more than skim coating, and with extra work on the shoulders and culverts.
There is still work to do, and I will continue to fight for local road improvements. I ask for your patience as we face another difficult budget cycle.
Most importantly, this experience reminded me of two key attributes when working with state officials in Augusta.
First, be prepared. I believe the help of the sheriff’s office, the town selectmen and county commissioners allowed me to make strong arguments for my position. Second, be tenacious, or better yet, be a pest.
It is customary to trade phone calls and e-mails for days and weeks with folks in Augusta. But if you really want to get something done, don’t give up when your phone call isn’t returned.
As always, please feel free to contact me to share your thoughts on state issues or if you need assistance with state services. I can be reached at home at 529-5747, at the State House in Augusta at 1-800-423-2900, or by e-mail at wpieh@lincoln.midcoast.com. And if for some reason, I don’t return your call, call again.
