LEWISTON – A decade ago, the Maine Turnpike Authority got rid of toll tickets in favor of a fixed fare system with tolls at certain locations. The pay-per-mile tickets were a fair way to charge for use of the road. But the fixed fare system was easier, faster and cheaper to run.
On Tuesday, an advisory committee discussed ways to bring back the fairness.
“It’s been kind of a patch on a patch on a patch. Now it’s out of whack,” said Vaughn Stinson, head of the Maine Tourism Association.
Formed to look at ways to make Maine’s toll rates fair and equitable for all parts of the state, the 22-member advisory committee has met twice this year. On Tuesday, members met for the third time, gathering at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston.
They considered two main scenarios.
The first would fix a low pay-per-mile rate for electronic EZ-Pass customers and increase cash toll rates to compensate. EZ-Pass customers would pay just under three cents a mile, significantly reducing their payments, while cash customers – the majority of the Turnpike’s travelers – would pay as much or more than they do now.
Many members were against the idea, saying it would anger a lot of the people who use the highway.
“To me, that’s just a riot looking for a place to happen,” Stinson said.
The second scenario would raise toll rates at the interchanges and lower them at the main toll plazas. EZ-Pass customers would pay almost exactly the same, while cash customers pay more or less depending on where they drove.
While they didn’t embrace the idea wholeheartedly, some committee members thought it was a more feasible solution.
“It’s beginning to get to fairness,” said member Mark Adams, former assistant city manager for Auburn.
November meeting
The committee will meet in November in Augusta to discuss more possibilities, including a flat toll of about $1 to get on the Turnpike and no additional tolls after that.
The committee is expected to make its recommendations to the Maine Turnpike Authority in December or January. Based on its 20-year financial plan, the Turnpike is due a toll increase in 2010.
The committee’s recommendations will help the Turnpike Authority decide whether to restructure the system and spread out tolls differently or keep the current toll system and simply raise rates.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.