SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- It appears there may be a little relief when it comes to the coming toll increase on the Maine Turnpike.
The Turnpike Authority Board met Thursday, and while no formal decisions were made, it appears the board is leaning towards a proposal that would mean a smaller toll increase.
Turnpike Authority Executive Director Peter Mills says this new idea all came out because of the 6 public hearings the turnpike authority held on the toll hikes. People had two big problems with the increases: First, that this increase is too big at a time when people are struggling and second, that certain areas of the state get hit harder than others.
Turnpike staff went back and tried to figure out whether there was a way that they wouldn't have to raise as much money. They found that there were a few capital projects that are facing permitting and other delays. If the Turnpike Authority officially puts those projects off while its waiting for those permits, it doesn't have to fund them in the budget years from 2014-2018. Those are the years when the MTA already has a heavy debt load because payments on the widening project are due. As a result, the MTA only needs $21.5 million more in tolls instead of $26 million.
The board still needs to figure out who benefits from that decrease. Board members seem to be leaning towards keeping the increase in York at $1 for cash customers.
Tolls in West Gardiner and New Gloucester could see 50 cent increases as opposed to the 75 cents that the original proposal suggested. Members of the commercial trucking industry or EZ Pass users also could get a break on the new tolls.
All these questions are expected to be answered at the board's next meeting on August 2nd.