HNTB: a clarification

We wrote a pretty savage attack on HNTB's advice to the Maine Turnpike Authority on the rebuild of their southern toll plaza near York on I-95, and especially HNTB's belittling of the prospects for all-electronic tolling in a several page memo in Q&A format which they wrote for the local council called York Selectmen. In reaction to that editorial we've heard nothing to suggest the thrust of the critique was wrong, although we've corrected a few details. Most of the reaction to the piece was positive, people saying stuff like: "That was needed."

Our only regret is that we may have cast aspersions on HNTB beyond the lousy and ill-informed advice they have been giving Maine Turnpike Authority on the York toll plaza. HNTB work for a score of toll authorities. They have hundreds of professionals and produce thousands of reports. We have no criticism of the company and its people in general, or the quality of the service they provide as general engineering consultant. Our quarrel is only with their handling of this one project in Maine.

We say this not because we've been asked to say it. We haven't. We say it not because we fear any defamation. We don't. We say it because we may have damaged the reputation of the larger company of people and their services, and that would be unfair and we did not intend that.

We contacted both HNTB and the Turnpike offering them space for a response. HNTB's spokesman emailed: "Thank you for your offer to publish a response to the editorial however, we do not wish to provide a response." - editor

TOLLROADSnews 2009-11-13