Kennebec Commuter

The Legislature will take up a new speciality license plate next week that would financially benefit autism awareness.

This should be good news: gas prices in the central Maine area are on their way back down again. The Web site www.gasbuddy.com reports the price for a gallon of regular gasoline is sitting around $1.87, down by six cents from last week and a dime less than the Maine average.

The Transportation Committee unanimously voted to approve a bill that would create a specialty license plate raising animal welfare awareness through the state. The bill was sponsored by Senator John Nutting.

The Maine Department of Transportation reported great progress in clearing the interstate and state roads after winter's latest snowstorm dumped at least a foot across central Maine

Travel will vary this weekend, as more snow is expected to roll into central Maine. The National Weather Service projects snow showers Sunday afternoon, though an estimated total was not given. Be on the look out for possible slick or icy streets.

Summer is a few months down the road, but that's no reason to put off conversations about traveling on the high seas (or at least lakes) until the sunshine is here to stay. As summer creeps closer, families will get their boats ready for recreation and travel.

Today, the Transportation Commitee of the Maine State Legislature looked at three bills (count 'em, THREE) about cell phones and driving. The bills all basically said the same thing, ban their usage while driving, except for Bluetooth and handsfree devices.

If you happen to cruise by our state capitol, Western Avenue or Civic Center Drive, you may notice some cameras sitting on top of the street lights. The cameras -- some installed Monday -- will observe traffic and alleviate congestion.

Lawmakers are expected this Friday to examine two bills the Kennebec Commuter wrote about at the beginning of 2009 -- an act to deter road rage and an act to establish a distracted driver law. The sessions to work on the bills will begin at 10 a.m. Friday.

The new year has brought many tidings within the first month, but it also brought something a little less welcome: high gas prices. On average, the American driver is paying 14 percent more per gallon of gas than at the close of 2008.