PORTLAND (AP) – One month after the multi-state E-ZPass system was introduced in Maine, more motorists along the Maine Turnpike are opting to pay their tolls electronically.
The turnpike handled 250,000 more non-cash transactions in February than it did 12 months earlier, even though overall traffic showed a slight decline, the Maine Turnpike Authority said.
The surge in electronic toll collection is attributed largely to out-of-state motorists. Only about 81,000 people have signed up for Maine’s E-Z Pass, compared to 97,000 accounts under the old Transpass system.
Although only a third of all vehicles on the Maine Turnpike come from other states, almost half of the automobiles that are using E-ZPass in Maine arrive from elsewhere. “I think that surprised all of us,” said Dan Paradee, spokesman for the turnpike authority.
Turnpike officials say the rising popularity of electronic payment should reduce traffic, because idling at toll plazas contributes to congestion. They credit E-ZPass, which was introduced in Maine on Feb. 1.
“It must be helping traffic flow,” Paradee said.
The number of electronic toll payers could grow this summer, when many out-of-state tourists who already have E-ZPass arrive in Maine. New Hampshire plans to introduce E-ZPass in late April, which will put the devices in even more vehicles.
The impact of electronic tolls could influence the thinking of officials deciding how to rebuild the York Toll Plaza, a project scheduled to begin in 2008, said Paul Violette, the turnpike’s executive director.
The uptick in electronic payment also could lead to reduced toll takers.
But no one will be laid off this year because officials want to analyze an entire year’s statistics before making any decisions, Violette said. But jobs could be eliminated next year, he said.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
AP-ES-03-08-05 0918EST
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