An Act To Increase Safety, Ensure Efficient Operation and Improve Traffic Flow on the Maine Turnpike by Requiring All-electronic Toll Collection at New and Reconstructed Toll Facilities

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  the Maine Turnpike Authority is planning to build a new toll facility in the Town of York at a cost of $41,000,000 to replace the existing toll facility at the southern gateway to and from Maine without fully implementing an all-electronic tolling system; and

Whereas,  the design of such a toll facility would soon be obsolete due to the rapid advances in electronic tolling methods; and

Whereas,  the estimated cost for construction of a simple overhead gantry that incorporates all-electronic toll collection is much less at $5,000,000, and an all-electronic toll facility will be safer to drive through and be far less expensive to operate over the life of the currently proposed toll facility; and

Whereas,  this legislation requires newly constructed and reconstructed toll facilities to use an all-electronic tolling system; and

Whereas,  due to the imminent nature of the Maine Turnpike Authority's proposed reconstruction of arguably the busiest toll facility in the State, this requirement needs to take effect prior to the expiration of the 90-day period; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §1966, sub-§6  is enacted to read:

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Maine Turnpike Authority to install and implement only an electronic toll collection system, also known as an all-electronic tolling system, for any reconstructed or newly constructed toll facility on the turnpike.