PORTLAND (AP) – The Maine Turnpike’s new electronic toll collection system is proving to be a hit with motorists, who are using E-ZPass in increasing numbers a year after it evolved from Transpass to make it compatible with toll systems in other East Coast states.

Turnpike officials say 38 percent of the turnpike’s traffic now uses the system, a number that has exceeded their expectations. More than 105,000 E-ZPass transponders are now attached to the windshields of Maine motorists, and the number of people signing up continues to grow.

E-ZPass is accepted in 11 states, including most on the East Coast, while Transpass was designed solely for the Maine Turnpike. New Hampshire is the latest East Coast state to convert to E-ZPass.

Commuters say E-ZPass saves them time otherwise spent stopped at toll booths.

“It makes a big difference for me, time-wise,” said John Sharood of Kennebunk, who commutes to Wilmington, Mass., four times a week and also uses E-ZPass all the way through to Virginia when he visits his daughter in school there.

John Segien of Loudon, N.H., who has had E-ZPass since December, said not having to stop to pay tolls during his twice-weekly trips to Portland has saved him a lot of time and aggravation.

“I’m constantly on the road,” said Segien, an insurance appraiser and one of the New Hampshire users who account for more than 20 percent of the out-of-state electronic toll transactions in Maine.

The 105,000 E-ZPass transponders now in use by Mainers is not much higher than the number of Transpass devices that were previously in use, but the number of tolls paid electronically has increased sharply.

Turnpike spokesman Dan Paradee said about 17.8 million toll transactions were paid electronically in one year of Transpass use, while the first year of E-ZPass yielded 29 million transactions. That boils down to an average of more than 79,000 a day.

Sam Zaitlin, a member of the turnpike authority’s board, said the changeover from Transpass was very complicated but well worth the effort.

“Everybody is thrilled with where we are a year later and we are looking forward to the future of electronic toll collection,” Zaitlin said.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com

AP-ES-02-06-06 1033EST