Turnpike toll plan would be aimed at tourists ~ Another reason not to vacation in MAINE!

boston.com ^ | 6 March 2004

[SheLion]

PORTLAND, Maine -- Summer tourists who clog Maine's highways would bear the brunt of a new toll plan under consideration by the Maine Turnpike Authority.

Under the plan, one of four toll schemes under consideration, the turnpike would charge higher tolls during July and August.

[dokmad]

"I never thought I'd see the day where I would shoo people off from coming to Maine, but it's high time the rest of the U.S. finds out what a crud run state this is!"

I'm with ya on that one. Maine has clearly gone to hell in a handbasket! We have the dubious distinction of being the highest taxed, most business unfriendly, bloodsucking money grubbing state in the country. And that is NOT overstated. Maine has become Massachusetts......

[SheLion]

Maine has become Massachusetts......

And I believe the Guv is a PLANT!

[dts32041]

My question was when living up there, "If it is called tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

Not one politician or lawyer could give me a valid reason.

[dts32041]

They already do with the exise tax you have to pay at the town office.

It is as high as CA's was before the recall of davis.

[SheLion]

They already do with the exise tax you have to pay at the town office.

I'm finding that out. And I understand this tax will never go down. I thought it should go down with each year the vehicle gets older, but I was told that No, it stays the same. ~sigh

[SheLion]

They already do with the exise tax you have to pay at the town office.

I'm finding that out. And I understand this tax will never go down. I thought it should go down with each year the vehicle gets older, but I was told that No, it stays the same. ~sigh

[CdMGuy]

This happened in Orange County, CA. The state gave the property in the middle of the 91 Fwy to a private company. They built the toll road, maintained it, and collected the tolls. It turns out that a state bureaucrat signed an agreement not to make any improvements to the freeway in the 11 mile section that had the toll road down the middle.

This section of the 91 Fwy is one of the worst roads in CA, but now, neither the state nor Orange County could make the road flow better. Then the private toll company claimed they were losing money which although possible would require a moron to accomplish.

Eventually, the Orange County Transportation Agency purchased the road. They have run it for about a year. The first thing they did was to fund a lane addition which just opened and has improved westbound traffic significantly. They have other improvements on the drawing board. They also made the toll road free during most hours to vehicles carrying 3 or more people. Hard to believe that a public agency is more effective than a private one.

By the way, Orange County has been the test case for privately owned toll roads in CA. It has been a failure. In addtion to the 91 toll road, there were three other brand new toll roads build. They are run by a public agency. The traffic has been way below the estimates made when the roads were being planned. The tolls are not sufficient to meet payments on the bonds sold to build the roads. So far, it has not been a problem because the debt servicing in the early years of operation was planned to be low. This experience has effectively killed any plans for private/public toll roads elsewhere in CA.

[mlmr]

Hey, increase the toll in York to 6 dollars in july and August and do away with it the rest of the year.

[SheLion]

Hey, increase the toll in York to 6 dollars in july and August and do away with it the rest of the year.

THERE you go! Another good reason to keep the tourist money out of the state.

[Ben Ficklin]

Crossroads of the Americas