Turnpike Tolls On The Rise Again
For the second time in four years the tolls on the Maine Turnpike have gone up. The increase comes one year earlier than planned, as the state looks to fund highway and bridge repairs, as well as combat the increase in maintenance costs such as road salt.
The new toll rates, which took effect February 1, 2009, will be as follows:
- $1 where tolls were previously 60 cents (a 67 percent increase)
- $2 at the York plaza (up 15 percent from $1.75)
- $1.75 at New Gloucester (up 40 percent from $1.25)
- $1.25 at the West Gardiner interchange (up 25 percent from $1)
The Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) recommends that Mainers get an E-ZPass to help facilitate their commute. The initial cost is $25, but the device offers two discounted options to lure drivers. With the E-ZPass, a driver can choose to pay a discounted flat quarterly rate of fifty percent between any two exits, or prepay at least $20 and receive an average discounted savings of 29 percent per toll.
Other options for Mainers concerned about the recent increase in tolls is to take an alternate route, avoiding the highway all together, or taking public transportation. Either way, in the ever changing world of fluctuating fuel costs and increased tolls, commuting to work will never be the same.
For more information on the recent toll increase, please visit: www.maineturnpike.com. And for a complete list of public transportation in the state of Maine, please visit: www.gomaine.org.
