Public transportation advocates are pushing a slate of measures aimed at streamlining and expanding transit options in the state.
According to a new report from the Moving Maine network, two in five Mainers are "transportation insecure," meaning they lack reliable ways to get around.
Josh Caldwell of the Natural Resources Council of Maine said that's fixable — but it's going to take coordination and buy-in at the state level.
"We just need to keep investing in those things to ensure and expand those options, to ensure that Mainers have reliable and safe ways to get around, but are not simply a car," Caldwell said.
Transportation is responsible for nearly half of the state's carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Advocates acknowledge that in a large, rural place like Maine, driving is often a daily necessity. But with the rising cost of cars, they say all Mainers should have a way to get to where they need to go.