CARIBOU, Maine – Caribou and state leaders want to gather public feedback on a proposed project aimed at improving pedestrian and cyclists’ access to downtown.

On Thursday, Dec. 19, Caribou and the Maine Department of Transportation will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Caribou Wellness & Recreation Center, 55 Bennett Drive, as part of their recent Village Partnership Initiative.

MaineDOT’s Village Partnership Initiative works with municipalities to increase the likelihood that pedestrians and cyclists can access downtown services and businesses, improve safety and enhance economic growth. In Aroostook, DOT officials are working with Presque Isle, Van Buren, Fort Kent and Madawaska on Village Partnership Initiatives tailored toward each community’s needs.

City Manager Penny Thompson said she encourages residents to attend Thursday’s meeting to voice thoughts on pedestrian safety and the project proposals.

“The intent is to engage the community with a discussion of transportation safety needs, focusing on how infrastructure improvements for walking, biking and driving can support downtown revitalization and riverfront development while enhancing Caribou’s identity and character,” Thompson said.

In 2023, Caribou agreed to work with the DOT and hired T.Y.Lin International in Falmouth to study traffic volumes, safety issues and walkability obstacles and recommend potential improvements. T.Y.Lin is working with Presque Isle, Van Buren, Fort Kent and Madawaska on similar studies.

Based on their study, MaineDOT and T.Y.Lin are recommending three components to Caribou’s road upgrades: an estimated 2 ½ to 3-mile downtown walking/bike path, 10-foot-wide “shared use bike lanes” and looping the current Collins Pond path with the new downtown path.

The downtown path would go from Caribou High School on Sweden Street, throughout the remainder of Sweden Street, Herschel Street, Hatch Drive and Water Street, and then onto Main Street and up towards Caribou Community School on Glenn Street and the recreation center.

The shared use lanes would be interspersed throughout that path so that pedestrians and cyclists can use those spaces without having to move over for each other, said Jarod Farn-Guillette, MaineDOT regional planner.

Communities like Falmouth and Bar Harbor recently have gotten positive public feedback on their shared use lanes, with Bar Harbor looking to expand theirs from eight feet to 10 feet, Farn-Guillette said. In rural communities like Caribou, shared use lanes can encourage more pedestrian safety on widely travelled roads.

“Caribou has some roads that are very wide and the travel lanes have wide shoulders. There’s not a lot of compliance with local speed limits,” Farn-Guillette said. “When you have closed [walking] loops, you increase walkability and reduce the likelihood of conflicts between vehicles and anyone not protected inside a vehicle.”

The Collins Pond loop would ideally connect both with the downtown path and with the Aroostook River region near Water Street, promoting not just walkability but also the city’s future riverfront development goals, Farn-Guillette noted.

Since the city, MaineDOT and T.Y.Lin are still in the preliminary stages of the Village Partnership Initiative, they want to gain a better sense of how the community feels about the proposals, Farn-Guillette said.

The team would then refine the project’s scope and conduct engineering to determine estimated construction costs and a timeline, which could take from a year to 16 months depending on the city’s wants and needs, Farn-Guillette noted.

Ideally, the MaineDOT would use federal discretionary funds to cover a 80-percent of the project, with the city contributing matching funds. Grants are also a possibility, Farn-Guillette said.

“We want people to bring an honest perspective of their experiences navigating Caribou,” Farn-Guillette said about the Thursday public meeting. “This is their opportunity to engage with the future of their community.”

A full bar at Dock Fore in Portland on a snowy day in January 2018. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Whether you’re not celebrating Christmas and need a hot meal, are late to making plans or just don’t feel like cooking, several places throughout the state will be open and serving food on Christmas Day.

These spots offer everything from fancy prix-fixe meals to Chinese takeout, breakfast spreads and pub food.

Note: All locations require a reservation unless otherwise specified.

PORTLAND

EMPIRE CHINESE KITCHEN
Empire, located at  575 Congress St. in Portland, will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for takeout only. They will serve an à la carte menu of classic American-Chinese food. No reservation is required.

MISTER BAGEL
Mister Bagel, located at 599 Forest Ave. in Portland will be open for bagels and cream cheese from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. No reservation is required but preorders are recommended.

ZEN CHINESE BISTRO
Zen, located at 45 Danforth St. in Portland, will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for an à la carte menu takeout only This bistro will serve its dinner menu, takeout only, on Christmas Day. Visit the restaurant’s website to view the whole menu and to order.

ALTO TERRACE BAR + KITCHEN AT THE CAMBRIA HOTEL
Alto, located at 25 Hancock St. in Portland, will be open from 8 a.m. to noon with an à la carte menu featuring its rotating Sunday brunch menu on Christmas morning. No reservation is required.

HARBOR BISTRO + TERRACE AT THE HARBOR HOTEL
Harbor Bistro, located at 468 Fore St. in Portland, will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. with an à la carte breakfast menu. No reservation is required.

ROSIE’S RESTAURANT & PUB
Rosie’s, located at 330 Fore St. in Portland, will be open from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. with an à la carte menu of its usual items along with Christmas specials. No reservation is required.

PANDA GARDEN
Panda Garden, located at 1041 Brighton Ave. in Portland will be serving an à la carte menu of their American-Chinese cuisine for dine-in and takeout. You can view the full menu here.

BENKAY SUSHI BAR
Benkay, located at 16 Middle Street in Portland, will be serving an à la carte menu from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Benkay offers an array of sushi, nigiri, omakase, udon, bento boxes, and other specialties. For reservations call the restaurant at 207-773-555.

EIGHTEEN95 AT THE REGENCY HOTEL
EIGHTEEN95 on 20 Milk St. in Portland will be open from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. with an à la carte menu of regular breakfast items. Reservations can be made here.

THE ARMORY LOUNGE AT THE REGENCY HOTEL
The Armory Lounge, located at 20 Milk St. in Portland, will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with an à la carte menu. Patrons can choose from their exclusive Christmas menu. Reservations can be made on OpenTable here.

TOMASO’S CANTEEN
The Canteen, located at 18 Hampshire St. in Portland, will be open from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. for food and their bar will open at 4 p.m. They will serve an à la carte menu of Christmas specials as well as their regular menu. No reservation is required.

DOCK FORE
Dock Fore, located at 336 Fore St. in Portland, will be open from noon to 9 p.m. serving up an à la carte menu of their regular items as well as some Christmas additions. Hot food will be available until 3 p.m.; after that time, only cold items will be available. No reservation is required.

CITY FARMHOUSE KITCHEN AND BAR
City Farmhouse, located at 200 Sable Oaks Dr. in Portland, will be open from noon to 3 p.m. for a buffet, including a carving and hot food station. And from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a prix-fixe meal. It’s $52 per adult and $26 per child under 12 for both the buffet and prix-fixe meal. 10% off will be offered for seniors. Reservations can be made by calling 207-871-8000, holiday hotline extension: 6071.

SICHUAN KITCHEN
Sichuan, located at 612 Congress St. in Portland, will be serving an à la carte menu of their traditional Sichuan Chinese fare. Christmas hours are still to be determined. For more information call 207-536-7226.

GREATER PORTLAND

PORTER KITCHEN + BAR AT THE HARRASEEKET
Porter, located at 162 Main St. in Freeport, will serve an à la carte menu that includes confit pork torchon, pan-roasted beef tenderloin, grilled Atlantic halibut and cranberry swirl cheesecake. For hours call 207-865-9377. To make a reservation head over to Resy.

SOUTHERN MAINE

SEA GLASS AT INN BY THE SEA
Sea Glass, located at 40 Bowery Beach Road in Cape Elizabeth, will be open from noon to 7 p.m. serving a four-course, prix fixe dinner for Christmas. Vegetarian and vegan options are available for $95 per adult and $35 per child ages 4-12. Reservations can be made by calling 207-799-3134 or online.

HAPPY GARDEN
Happy Garden, located at 174 US-1, Scarborough, will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. serving an à la carte menu of American-Chinese fare. No reservation is required.

EVERGREEN CHINESE
Evergreen, located at 29 Western Ave. in South Portland, will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. serving an à la carte menu of classic Chinese cuisine. No reservation is required.

MIDCOAST

NATALIE’S AT CAMDEN HARBOUR INN
Natalie’s, located at 83 Bayview St. in Camden, will be serving a five-course, prix fixe menu, with vegetarian options available with seatings at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. for $149 and $93 for wine pairing. Reservations can be made by calling 800-236-4266 or online.

LA BELLA VITA AT THE SAMOSET RESORT
La Bella, located at 220 Warrenton St., Rockport, will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. serving an à la carte menu as well as offering Christmas specials. Reservations can be made by calling 207-593-1549.

WESTERN MAINE

LOTUS RESTAURANT
Lotus, located at 279 Center St. in Auburn, will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. serving à la carte choices from their regular menu as well as offering ham, stuffed haddock, and classic American sides for Christmas. Reservations are required for parties with six or more people. Call 207-241-0870.

THE MILLBROOK TAVERN AND TERRACE
Millbrook, located at 21 Broad St. in Bethel, will be open from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. serving a a three-course, prix-fixe menu for  $65 per adult and $28 per child. Reservations can be made on OpenTable or by calling 207-824-2175.

NORTHERN MAINE

TIMBER KITCHEN AND BAR
Timber, located at 22 Bass Park Blvd. in Bangor, will be open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. serving a three-course, prix fixe menu for $44.95 per adult and $18.95 per child under 12. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 207-433-0844.

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For every 200 new car registrations in Maine, around 13 of them are for electric vehicles. 

This is up from 2020, when fewer than three out of every 200 newly registered cars were either battery powered or plug-in hybrids. But the state wants to see that number climb even higher. 

The state’s newly updated climate action plan, known as Maine Won’t Wait, set a goal of having 150,000 light-duty electric vehicles on Maine roads by the start of the next decade. This year, there were fewer than 17,500. 

With a ways to go to achieve that goal, the climate plan outlines ideas for encouraging people to ditch their internal combustion engine vehicles for those that produce no or low tailpipe emissions. However, one of the incentives the state has used in recent years to promote that transition has run dry without any current plan to bring it back. 

“To further increase the number of EVs on the road, Maine must continue to offer attractive EV rebates and expand the dealer network offering rebates, especially in rural communities,” the climate action plan reads. 

But those rebates will need more money to continue. In mid-November, Efficiency Maine had to stop issuing rebates — except for those designated for low-income customers — because it exhausted the $13.5 million it had to fund the program since it started in 2019.

That money came from a variety of sources including payouts from multiple legal settlements and money allocated by the Maine Legislature, said Executive Director Michael Stoddard. The 2022 state budget included $3.5 million for the program. 

State policymakers are considering next steps to provide incentives for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, said Jackie Farwell, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and Future, which is directed by Maine Climate Council co-chair Hannah Pingree. The next session of the Legislature, during which lawmakers will need to pass a new biennial budget, will start in early January with Democrats in control of both chambers. 

“The ambitious but realistic EV goals in the updated climate action plan are built upon comprehensive modeling that incorporates a range of factors, including, but not limited to, the availability of rebates,” Farwell said. 

She added that as the state expands its charging infrastructure, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular in Maine. Both vehicle types can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in a sprawling, rural state like Maine, where transportation accounts for nearly half of carbon emissions.

Given that, a draft report from the Governor’s Energy Office outlining how the state can meet its clean energy goals said that electrifying transportation is “essential for meeting Maine’s clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

About the state EV rebates

Efficiency Maine’s EV rebate program offered up to $2,000 for the purchase of a new battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid to Mainers of any income. The rebate amount increased to $7,500 for low-income consumers and included an option to get some money back for purchasing a used hybrid or electric vehicle.

In order to receive the low-income rebate, the purchaser must be part of a household currently receiving other benefits, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or MaineCare. 

There was also previously a third rebate category for moderate-income households that included individuals making less than $70,000 and couples earning less than $100,000 a year, but that also has been cut. 

Rebates for low-income drivers will continue because the money earmarked specifically for those hasn’t run out yet. One of the $5 million settlement awards specified that a quarter of the money be used for low-income rebates. 

More low- and moderate-income drivers have accessed rebates in recent years, but they still only accounted for 17% of state EV rebates in 2024, according to the state’s updated climate action plan. The vast majority of EVs were purchased by higher income households. 

The life of the rebate program was always dependent on the demand, Stoddard said. Efficiency Maine forecasted the funding would last through June 2025, but he said demand accelerated in the past six months so the money went faster than expected. 

Stoddard posits that this could have happened because electric vehicles have become increasingly affordable and more models came onto the market, giving drivers more options to weigh against traditional gas-powered cars. 

Future of EV rebates in Maine

Going forward, Efficiency Maine has proposed what Stoddard described as a “modest budget” for EV rebates in its three-year strategic plan that still needs approval from the Public Utilities Commission. The proposal gradually increases from about $2 million next year to $4 million in fiscal year 2028. 

A 2021 clean transportation roadmap from the Governor’s Energy Office and the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future estimated that a low-income EV rebate program would require $11 million to $28.8 million per year through 2032.

If the rebate program is replenished, Stoddard said he expects Efficiency Maine to place a greater emphasis on low- and moderate-income customers who may face more barriers to purchasing an electric vehicle even as sticker prices come down. 

“I think our programs, if they are able to continue in the future, will become more focused on specific segments of the marketplace that are slower to adopt this equipment,” Stoddard said.

Rebates aren’t the only option

Incentives can be helpful in getting people to start using new, unfamiliar technology. As for the EV rebates, Stoddard said they have encouraged car dealerships to add more electric vehicles to their inventory and stirred up interest in early adopters to try these new cars. 

But state rebates are just one tactic, Stoddard said. There are other financial incentives such as federal tax credits and the functions of a free market bringing down the sticker price to make electric vehicles more comparable to their gas-powered counterparts. 

Federal tax credits offer up to $7,500 for some new battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. However, there are eligibility requirements and income caps. There are also smaller federal tax credits available for the purchase of used electric vehicles. 

Maine’s climate action plan says the state should explore other means of making electric vehicles more affordable, such as broader access to financing and other tax incentives. 

Additionally, Stoddard explained that some consumers may also need the assurance that there will be sufficient fueling capability, so developing a network of public chargers can help people feel confident that they could travel around the state as they please with an electric vehicle. 

Maine has more than 500 public charging locations with more than 1,100 individual charging ports, according to a map from Efficiency Maine. Although most of them are concentrated in the southern part of the state, there are public chargers along the northern and eastern borders. 

The state is also investing more than $50 million to install 700 new charging ports by 2028.