Joint transportation committee unanimously recommends Dale F. Dowdy for Maine DOT commissioner

Representative Lydia Crafts, chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, opened a public hearing on Jan. 27 to consider the governor’s nomination of Dale F. Dowdy of Pittston to be commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation.

Joe Morrow, senior policy adviser to Gov. Janet T. Mills, told members the governor nominated Dowdy because of his decades of experience in state and municipal transportation roles and his understanding of Maine DOT’s scope. "Maine DOT is responsible for 8,800 centerline miles of highway, more than 2,800 bridges and minor spans, 22 transit providers, nearly 600 miles of state owned railroad, 3 deepwater seaports, and 7 ferry vessels and terminals," Morrow said, outlining the agency’s responsibilities and the need for experienced leadership.

Dowdy, who has worked at Maine DOT in multiple planning and maintenance roles, spoke briefly about his Maine roots and management philosophy. "Transportation is a system, not a single bridge," he said, describing a ‘‘systems approach’’ that evaluates tradeoffs across highways, bridges, transit, bicycling and pedestrian networks. He told the committee he would emphasize safety, asset management, staffing and external partnerships and said the department is confronting an ongoing capital funding gap that will require sustainable state and federal solutions.

Members questioned Dowdy on priorities including work‑zone safety, ferry service reliability and how the department ties transportation investments to housing and local economic development. Responding to work‑zone safety concerns, Dowdy said the department had held stand‑downs for maintenance crews and was awaiting independent reviews (including an NTSB review and state police investigations) to guide changes. On ferry operations he reported recent route reliability above 99 percent outside of weather disruptions and said vessel replacement and dockside costs remain long‑term budget priorities.

A slate of stakeholders — construction contractors, transit agencies, rail advocates and environmental groups — testified in support. Speakers who backed the nomination included Jake Lechants of the Maine Better Transportation Association; Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine; Andre Brere, executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority; Megan Hannon of Greater Portland Metro; and Josh Caldwell of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Their testimonies praised Dowdy’s technical experience, accessibility to partners and attention to multimodal and climate‑related transportation priorities.

After hearing public comment and reviewing written statements, the committee took a roll‑call vote by yeas and nays. The clerk recorded 11 votes in the affirmative and 0 in the negative. The committee’s recommendation will be sent in writing to the president of the Senate as required by 3 M.R.S.A. §157.

Next steps: The committee’s favorable recommendation moves the nomination to the full Senate process according to joint rules; the Senate will consider the committee’s report and determine confirmation.