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
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1779
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BLUME, HILL, ESPLING, FECTEAU, HARLOW, HYMANSON, LAWRENCE, RILEY, RYKERSON, SANBORN
Amends: 23 MRSA §1966

Legislative Document
No. 1779
H.P. 1225
House of Representatives, January 9, 2018
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)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BLUME of York.
Cosponsored by Senator HILL of York and
Representatives: ESPLING of New Gloucester, FECTEAU of Biddeford, HARLOW of 
Portland, HYMANSON of York, LAWRENCE of Eliot, RILEY of Jay, RYKERSON of 
Kittery, SANBORN of Portland.
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,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1966, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Reconstruction or construction of toll facility.  Notwithstanding any provision 
of section 1973, subsection 3 to the contrary, when the authority reconstructs an existing 
turnpike toll facility or constructs a new turnpike toll facility, the authority shall install 
and implement only an electronic toll collection system for that reconstructed or new toll 
facility.  For purposes of this subsection, "electronic toll collection system" means a 
system of collecting tolls or other charges by electronic means.
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.