York

Maine native and toll systems engineer Daryl S Fleming has previously worked as a consultant to the town of York and advised them that all-electronic tolling (AET) is the most cost-effective collection mode for the controversial toll plaza there at the southern end of the Maine Turnpike. He argues here against the idea of doing a hybrid open road toll in the center with cash-to-the-sides (ORT+cash) at the existing plaza:

It's not an elegant solution, nor a permanent one, but perhaps it's the compromise that's needed to resolve the tumultuous arguments over the Maine Turnpike's York Toll Plaza - half-ORT+cash in-place.

The Maine Turnpike Authority will not be submitting to the Feds the Violette-era response on the proposed new York toll plaza. Paul Violette's successor as chief executive Peter Mills has decided it would be prudent to take time for a full review of the Turnpike's old proposals before they go back to the US Army Corps of Engineer

The York toll plaza is the Turnpike's busiest and collects some 40% of total tolls on the Turnpike.

Both major contenders for the Maine governorship now want the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) to give consideration to all-electronic tolling (AET) as an alternative to building a new wide toll plaza at the business end of the Turnpike in York.

Likely next governor of Maine, Republican Paul LePage favors all-electronic tolling (AET) at the crucial southern leg of the Maine Turnpike (I-95).

Maine Turnpike Authority's proposal for an open road toll (ORT) plus cash toll plaza gets editorial support this morning from the Portland Press-Herald, the major newspaper of the state.  The editorial writer picks up on the great reception ORT+cash got in the introductory test over the Memorial Day weekend at the Hampton toll plaza in New Hampshire. It's just 20 minutes south of the contentious toll plaza sites near York Maine.

The Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) has been made the number one target of the state's Office of Program Evaluation and Governmental Accountability (OPEGA) due to the fight they picked with the town of York over a new toll plaza there.  The audit was initiated by Rep Dawn Hill of York who has become a strong critic of the Turnpike Authority over their refusal to consider alternatives to a wide open road toll (ORT) plus cash plaza at a new site in the area

Usually protest movements involve angry people at meetings, placard carrying picketers, a petition perhaps, two or three local politicians, and a rather predictable litany of narrowly cast complaints from an environmental group.

The Maine Turnpike Authority this week voted unanimously at their monthly board meeting this week to seek US government permits for a wide new mainline toll plaza with open road tolling (ORT) down the middle, but retaining cash collection to either side.

The political battle over the design of Maine's southern toll plaza has seen the town of York hire their own toll system consultant to combat HNTB and the Maine Turnpike Authority. York mayor Michael Estes announced the hiring of Atlanta Georgia based eTrans at a large public meeting on the contentious issue Thursday night in York.