The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Maine Turnpike May Raise Tolls a Year Early

October 22, 2008 - AUGUSTA -- The Maine Turnpike Authority will vote on a resolution today that authorizes its staff to develop a plan for an early toll increase.

If approved, an average 23 percent rate hike would take effect in February, a year sooner than expected, to raise $20 million in tough economic times.

A public hearing will be held on the plan in November, with possible final passage by the authority in December.

Turnpike officials explained the proposal Wednesday to members of the Legislature's Transportation Committee, which has no say over the increase.

Executive Director Paul Violette told committee members that the increase is unavoidable, given declining toll revenues, increased construction costs and the impact of the Wall Street financial collapse.

"I'm not surprised, but on the other hand, I'm not standing up and applauding," said Boyd Marley of Portland, the House co-chairman of the Transportation Committee, who worries that any increase in tolls might drive a trucking firm that is struggling financially onto secondary roads.

The turnpike authority normally adjusts tolls in five-year cycles, but even after canceling some projects and cutting back others, it sees no alternative to moving up the toll increases by a year, Violette said. The last toll hike was in February 2005.

Violette said that without an increase in tolls, needed repairs to roads and bridges will not get done.

He said the turnpike authority has a responsibility to bond holders to ensure that its infrastructure is properly maintained. The trustees who represent those bond holders can impose the increase themselves if the authority does not, Violette said.

Violette said the biggest change in usage this year has been lighter weekend discretionary travel through the York toll plaza.

"People coming here from out of state and the day trips are way off," he said.

That trend has led to a sharp decline in toll collections, the turnpike's chief source of revenue.

"For the first time in 61 years, we expect to collect less revenues than we did the previous year," MTA spokesman Dan Paradee said.

Last March, the authority reduced its operating budget by more than $1 million per year and put $3 million worth of projects on hold, Violette said.

Then, seeing a decline in traffic as fuel prices spiked this summer, the 100-mile highway's overseers terminated $3 million worth of projects and reduced others by $2 million, Violette said.

It soon became clear that no amount of cutting could forestall jumping the toll increase a year early, Violette said.

The resolution to be voted on today states that toll highway revenue projections for 2008 have been revised from 2.5 percent growth to a 1.7 percent decline.

It also states that general highway construction costs have increased by more than 38 percent since 2005, and costs of specific maintenance items have also increased sharply. Diesel fuel is up 117 percent, deicing salt is up 83 percent and paving mix has risen 82 percent.

The Maine Turnpike says its per-mile charges for passenger cars and commercial vehicles are among the lowest in the nation, but that doesn't make turnpike users any happier.

"I'm a regular user and I think it (a toll increase) is crazy," said Marshall Jarvis.

Jarvis, who manufactures precision cutting tools, travels daily along the turnpike from his home in York Harbor to places such as Portland and Auburn.

"They've spent millions of dollars on an engineering study for a new toll plaza (in York). I don't know where those funds are coming from," Jarvis said.

Steve Freeman, an engineer from Cape Elizabeth, uses the turnpike to commute to his office in Portsmouth, N.H. He said he understands the move.

"I don't want to pay higher tolls, but I want to know that the road and bridges I use are well-maintained," Freeman said.

Violette said Maine is not alone in raising its tolls, noting that increases are being imposed on highways in New Jersey this year. New Hampshire raised its turnpike tolls last year.

By DENNIS HOEY Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, October 16, 2008 .
The Associated Press contributed to this story.


Lakes:
Regions:


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News