Last coin machine gone from Maine Turnpike

Today saw the last automatic coin machine removed from the Maine Turnpike. After the morning commute at the Gray interchange (MP63) north of Portland the lane was closed and the last of the Turnpike's ACMs was taken away, the Mark IV IAG equipment fired up, and the signage changed to "E-ZPass ONLY."

The last machine was a TDC electronic machine of French manufacture, one of about 35 bought as replacements for earlier electro-mechanical models in 1997 when the whole toll collection system was reorganized and restructured.

At the peak Maine Turnpike operated 29 ACM-only lanes. about a third of them at their three mainline plazas and the rest on the side plazas.

In 1997 they switched from a ticket system to a barrier system and introduced TransPass, their first iteration of electronic tolling - the AT/Comm dual frequency technology, also adopted initially by Illinois Tollway. A handful of ACMs went then.

The serious decline came with the second electronic toll iteration when TransPass was retired and E-ZPass introduced in 2005.

At that time 12 ACM-only toll lanes were scrapped and converted to transponder-only lanes, leaving 17 ACMs at side plazas.

Maine Turnpike never had tokens so when the minimum tolls went to $1.00 earlier this year coin machines made no more sense. With the quarter the smallest denomination in general circulation four coins or more are required. Besides usage of the ACM lanes was below 10%.

Maine's electronic toll usage is over 50% now and the end of ACMs will allow extra dedicated transponder lanes at most side plazas.

TDC was a US subsidiary of what is now CS Group, operating in the US as Intrans Group out of New York. They offer a complete range of toll systems and still supply and service coin machines (pictures nearby). Other countries with higher denomination coins still make heavy use of ACMs.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-02-25